Your Kindness Embraced a Mother and Son
Judie spends much of her time caring for her son Kristian, who is 20 years old and living with autism and intellectual disabilities. “He has no speech, and he doesn’t read or write,” Judie explains. “But he’s very loving, and he laughs a lot. He helps me out, too — doing the laundry, or taking out the garbage. I’d give him an ‘A’ for effort,” she adds with a smile.
A single mother, Judie has worked hard to provide Kristian with the special care he needs, all while paying the bills and covering other expenses. Most of the time, she can do it. This past holiday season, however, she came to The Salvation Army for a little help.
“I came to see if I could get a turkey,” she says, “so I could make soup for some of my elderly neighbors and friends. While I was there, they told me that they had a Christmas program where my son would be ‘adopted,’ and that he would receive some Christmas presents. So, I told them a few things that Kristian would like, and some things that he needed.”
“Then, The Salvation Army called me a few days later,” she continues. “They told me that I was going to be ‘adopted’ for Christmas, too!”
When Christmas arrived, Judie returned to The Salvation Army, and she couldn’t believe what was waiting for her and her son. “I was speechless,” she says. “There were two huge green bags, both filled. One was for Kristian, and one was for me.”
Inside the bags were gifts, clothes, gift cards for food, and even everyday items they both needed. The family was also given food for the holidays, including the turkey Judie had originally asked for.
“I was in tears,” Judie recalls. “I was just so thankful. The Salvation Army is amazing. They help so many people. I’m a grain of sand compared to everyone they help, but they still made me feel like a million dollars. I really appreciate what they’ve given me and Kristian.”
It’s through your compassion that we can take action — lifting the spirits of people in need, during the holidays and throughout the year. Thank you for caring!