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GLEN CARBON - Caritas Family Solutions is asking for help to make sure the last few children on their list have a merry Christmas.

As an organization, Caritas supports kids in the foster care system, adults with developmental disabilities and seniors. They serve 6,300 individuals every year, including 1,400 children in the foster care system. At their Glen Carbon location, there are 15 kids who still need gifts this holiday season.

“Christmastime brings it all together,” said Hope Carbonaro, chief program officer with Caritas. “We always consider the fact that children that have experienced trauma in their young lives, abuse and neglect, that while we care for them all year long in various ways, that waking up Christmas morning and feeling a sense of normalcy and feeling a sense of joy and that people love and care about that experience for them is just something that’s hard to explain in words. It’s very meaningful.”

Community members can go to the official Caritas website to learn more about the Secret Santa program. From there, you can view the Amazon wishlist to purchase items and ensure kids receive exactly what they asked for this Christmas.

You can also email Brooke.Clouser@caritasfamily.org or Sarah.Bock@caritasfamily.org for information about sponsoring individual children, or you can stop by local businesses to pick up tags that have kids’ wishlists on them. Community members are invited to purchase these gifts and then drop them off, unwrapped, at one of the Caritas offices. For more information about this, including where to find the tags, call 618-468-1601.

Carbonaro said it is “humbling” to see the “modest” gifts that many kids ask for, especially the teenagers. She is impressed that so many gifts have already been provided for the kids, but she hopes the community can come together to make sure these final 15 kids get the presents they deserve on Christmas morning. She added that it’s a “very wonderful and heartwarming experience” to shop for the kids.

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While many people choose to donate during the holiday season, Carbonaro and CEO Gary Huelsmann emphasized that Caritas needs donations all year long. They regularly organize celebrations and events for local foster families, and they rely on donations to make sure every child “feels special” throughout the year.

“Our agency is always so grateful to have people sponsor our children in care through the Secret Santa program. However, our work doesn’t end when the holiday wraps up,” Huelsmann said. “Year-round support from the communities is needed to keep all of our programs up and running. Without our communities, we wouldn’t be able to address the need and have the impact we do. By helping our agency, your family can create new memories and traditions, all while knowing they are making a difference in the lives of others.”

For information on how to donate, click here. Carbonaro noted there are other ways to help, too, from volunteering to becoming a foster parent. Caritas provides all of this information on their website.

The organization’s annual fundraising gala is also scheduled for February. This is their largest fundraiser, and the money goes to support the kids, families, and individuals who are in their care.

Carbonaro hopes many people are able to donate this holiday season to help ensure the final 15 local kids receive gifts on Christmas Day. She also encourages people to keep Caritas Family Solutions in mind year-round, as they’re constantly looking for donations and volunteers to support their work.

“Please help those 15 children, but also feel free to donate, because we utilize these donations all year at Caritas,” she added. “We always have needs. They really never end, and we’re just thankful when we can get donations to help us.”

For more information about Caritas Family Solutions and the Secret Santa program, visit their official website at CaritasFamilySolutions.org.

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