Happy holidays from the historic Houston Chapter of The 12 Days of Christmas!

 

Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” As we entered our 21st year of service in 2020, the need for our services increased exponentially as Houston and the world experienced unprecedented levels of health, educational, and financial crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The members of the Houston chapter responded by increasing our presence in the lives of our adopted families. We were in contact with them weekly with information on crucial community resources and food giveaways, and provided them with PPE, toiletries, water, and food. We assisted with rent and utilities as many of the heads of household lost employment and/or income. When students moved to virtual learning exclusively, we purchased laptops for their home use and through our R.E.A.D. initiative we provided subscriptions to Kindle Unlimited to ensure they had uninterrupted access to reading materials. In addition, our R.E.A.D. initiative continues to distribute high-quality books to at-risk students in low-income schools for their personal use. All of this was in addition to our annual gifts and holiday meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas, books and baskets at Easter, and our Christmas in July program where students receive their school clothing, backpacks, and supplies. Our Elder Care initiative provides Senior Care Packages to those amongst us who are often unseen: the elderly in nursing home facilities.

2021 has provided us with additional opportunities to serve with compassion and purpose. Our Disaster Relief committee has responded with determination and resources to the victims of the aftermath of the February winter storm, to our displaced Louisiana neighbors who sought safety in Houston after Hurricane Ida, and to the needs of Haitian immigrants seeking asylum who were displaced from the Texas-Mexico border.

Wherever there is a need, The 12 Days of Christmas Houston Chapter will find a way to meet it, but we cannot do it alone. We are eternally grateful to our amazing sponsors, family members, friends, and neighbors who give so generously so that we can achieve our goals and serve our community with distinction.
 

To my fellow Houston Chapter members: kudos on a job well done! As long as there are families in need, we will respond by sharing our time and our talents. Never underestimate the impact we have on the lives of our adopted families. We are the light during their darkest hours. We give them dignity when there is self-doubt. We lift their spirits when they are low. We share hope when they are hopeless. We are philanthropists for children.

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With a heart for service,
Andrea A. Hollingsworth