Hello all my friends and family,
It's that time of year again, Christmas time! Please take a moment to read the following letter and possibly even forward it along if you see fit:
I work in a very impoverished school district. At last count, my school is over 95% free and reduced lunch, and our annual residential turnover (how quickly kids come and go) is 36%. (which means kids are constantly moving, staying with relatives, switching schools, etc…)
My second
grade class are a lively bunch of 8 year olds who have a wide range of talents
and challenges between them. We have 12
boys and 11 girls who to put it bluntly, need more for Christmas than I’ve seen
in years past. 2 of them are homeless: they either live in shelters or with
other family members. Some of them don't have their own coats, boots or enough
food to eat at night. They are constantly asking for “more breakfast please”
and they tend to save some of the snacks we get to take home to their siblings.
Whenever we serve fruit for snacks, they always grab some to take home to be
sure they have a snack later. The school provides free breakfast and lunch that
we serve every day and for some of my students this is the only time they even
get to eat. Two of my kids have family members (a mom or dad or brother) in
jail, and the vast majority of my kids don't have enough books, pencils, paper
or even crayons at home to do their homework. One little boy told me last week
that instead of having extra recess for his reward for doing a good job, could
he please have a box of crayons for his house because he’s always wanted a box. Another little boy told me he couldn’t come
to school last week when it was cold because he only has one hoodie and no coat
and didn’t want to be cold here at school.
It's not that all of the parents are deadbeats
or don't care: I've met all my parents and most of them are devoted to their
kids and passionate that their kids MAKE IT: they want their kids to rise above
their situation and become better than they themselves have it.
This is my 8th
year helping to provide a little bit of holiday cheer for my class, the 2nd
grade, and with your help, the entire school and it is the absolute highlight of
my year. Words can’t describe the joy I
feel when 2 years later, I see younger brothers and sisters running around the playground
wearing a coat you donated 4 years ago.
Or when a parent comes in to thank me and give me a hug in broken
Spanish to tell me that without the boots you sent, their child would have to
walk to the bus stop every day with holes in their shoes. Or the happiness that we see when a child
holds on to the one Christmas present you sent because she wants to take it
home and open it there as she knows it will be the only one she receives this
year. Or the feeling that someone cares
about them when I’m able to give a family a gift card that you sent to buy a
turkey for their Christmas dinner. Or watching a child walk down the hall with
new jeans, or a new sweater and not having to keep their hands in their pants
to hold them up because the only pair they have is too big and they don’t have
a belt. Or the pride in the 8 year old’s eyes when he zips up his new coat to
go outside to play soccer with his friends for the first time. Or watching
children squeal and run around on the playground all bundled up with new hats
and gloves and with the spring in their step that you put there for possibly
the first time. Or a grandmother of 4
girls that I had continually over the years coming back to give me a hug and tell
me that without our help, her grandchildren that she’s struggling to provide
for would not have had a Christmas for years.
Or the outpouring of gifts, money, food, clothes, and love from all over
the world you gave to my student and his family who was suffering from a brain
tumor and had to ride around in a stroller at 9 years old because his single
mom couldn’t afford a wheelchair. Or the 25 handmade quilts that were sent so
each child in my room could cuddle under a warm blanket when a few of them
shared towels that were used for that purpose. I could keep going, but I want
to make sure that you know that you have made all of that and so much more
possible over the years, and again, I’m asking for your help.
This year, I’m
hoping to again provide at least one present for the entire second grade of 98
children. Instead of asking for any and
all donations, I instead am asking for two small things that will make their holiday
just a little bit brighter and will remind them that despite the circumstances
they were born into, there are people out there that care about them and want
them to succeed. I would love to be able
to get two things for all the second graders in my school: a new pair of
pajamas, and a new book at their reading level.
This may sound small to you, but please believe me that even a new pair
of pj’s and a book from a stranger will be just the boost kiddos need to remind
them there’s a big world out there with people who care about them. I will also be making sure every child in my
room has decent shoes, coats, socks, and clothes to get them through the winter
which can be bitter and even one pair of new socks can make a huge difference.
As always, we
are in desperate need of socks, underwear, coats, hats, gloves, and gently used
clothing for most kids in the entire school in every range of sizes and
styles. Many children have siblings that
are also in desperate need of help, and anything you send will find its way to
good use. If you’d like to contribute
anything at all, please send Target Gift
Cards in any amount to:
Mara Kimling
c/o Alsup Elementary School
7101 Birch Street
Commerce City, CO 80022
I will make
sure every child receives a gift for Christmas and the children and families
who are desperate get their needs met.
I will need all donations at my school by Friday, December 13, 2013 so I have time to get everything wrapped and distributed by the holiday break. As I know most of you reading this have forwarded, collected, donated,
visited, and had their companies match their donations over the years, instead
of closing this letter with their “Dear Santa” letters which are as
heartbreaking as ever, I’m going to leave you with a few of the “Thank You”
quotes from last year.
Simply saying
“Thank You” is never enough, but I hope reading these touches your heart as it
does mine and impels you to take action as it does for me each and every
year. I thank you in advance for the
love and generosity and spirit you show to these kiddos. Please believe me, it lives in all of our
hearts for years.
Ms. Mara
Kimling
“…I really like what you gave me because I was brock and I
berley had some soks now I hav plenty of soks.” ~Aaliyah
“…thank you, it was my best day!” ~Juan
“…thak you for presns bekze santa detent com to my
howz. I like the spidrmn glvs!” ~Axel
“…I know you really care about us and spended a lot of money
but do you know how happy Miss Kimling was
she was crying because she never ever seen us so happy.” ~Esynce
“…Thank you for all the stuf you got me I wos so happy I
almost fanted and it is a day I will never forget.” ~Emily
“…thank you again and can you please come visit one time?”
~Christina
“…thank you for buying me presents and I hope I can see you
some day!” ~Nickolas
“…I appreciate all the presents we had was greater than
anything and it was better than a best party and awsome.” ~Adrian
“…thank you for everything! It was awesome that day and I
was so happy!” ~Mckayla
“…thank you for the socks, hat, gloves we needed all of that
stuff! Thank you again and I hope I see
you around! I will do very good in school!” ~Robert
“…Thank you for all you bot me. I am really appreciateing
because I needed soks and hats and more swuetrs.” ~Karla
“…it was the becst day of my life and I will never friget it
and thank you for all the stuff!” ~Eric
“…I also liked the cloths that you gave us because I didn’t
have harly any cloths but now I do so thank you very much! I will do what you said I will do good in
school.” ~Gabriel
“…Thank you for all my stuff! My mom and dad were surprised when I brouth
all the stuff home and I love my new stuff!” ~Valery
“…Also it was fantastic because nothing like this hade
happen and I like the sweter because it was fluffy and I promise to be good in
school.” ~Jasel
