Sonja's Forgotten Angels

                               

This program was started 10 years ago by Sonja Jones and her family. While searching for a good cause to donate for Christmas instead of giving gifts to each other – they discovered this untapped need.

 

They first went to the bank and were told all children’s angels had been adopted. Next they tried the food bank but told it was too full and a new room for storage was being built.

 

Not to be deterred, they then visited the local nursing home thinking that there might be one or two needy elderly residents. instead it was 22 and this was a very small nursing home. The director explained that many residents were left there, or had no remaining family to visit or bring gifts or basic needs. The only means of income was Medicaid for the majority of residents. The Medicaid and social security paid for room and board and very sparse for toiletries and clothes etc. It was a profound realization that our past basically had no future, no hope and Christmas and birthdays were just another bleak day. We took and bought all 22 residents gowns, toiletries and Christmas gifts that year on our own.

It was tough financially that year for us. But the smiles and joy (and tears) we brought that year made us realize we would never be the same. We had to do something. The next year was bitter sweet as we put in a “forgotten angel” tree in Main Street Antiques. The second year we had 53 angels, the outpouring from the community was amazing. We only had to buy 12 out of pocket gifts.