(This is Karli and Shelbi Kusler, they made all the blankets in the photo as gifts for the people in the shelter.)There are a lot of people I run into here who are having a difficult time with Christmas, both financially and emotionally.
We all know that this is a difficult year and that the economy is in a recession. It has been estimated that 1.25 million jobs have been lost in the last three months. 1 in 10 people paying a mortgage are more than 2 months behind. Locally there have been people laid off with more to come after the New Year.
Christmas holds deep meaning for people and comes with memories of childhood and family traditions this can make it a difficult time for homeless people; young families struggling to find a place and remain strong for their children; addicts and alcoholics who may have burned their bridges with family; single people surrounded by married people; depressed people, and the list goes on.
Christmas really isn't about the commercialism that we make it out to be. I have difficulty with the materialism that comes out at Christmas when it is ironically a celebration of the birth of Jesus. He loved the poor, his words were filled with truths about our responsibility to our brothers and sisters who live in poverty.
So, thank you Karli and Shelbi and the dozens of other people who have been helping the Samaritan House provide Christmas. That is a special thing and what its really about.
Merry Christmas!
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