(Scroll down to see our entire Operation Santa scrapbook!)
Year after year, New Moms’ participant Christmas Celebration is our most anticipated event. It is an opportunity for us to lean into our values of love and connection to help young families create life-long holiday memories (like some alumni from decades ago who say this was their favorite thing about New Moms!). For the last two years we have adapted our celebration to be COVID-friendly while still making the experience special for families in our programs.
We are so grateful to everyone who donated to the gift drive and made Operation Santa 2021 a success. Our goal this year was to get presents under the Christmas tree for the 171 moms and 209 kids in our programs. Thanks to the generosity of our New Moms community, we received over 2140 donated gifts for moms and kids — the most ever! With the help of 64 volunteers, all the items were unboxed, packed, and delivered to families in time for the holidays.
New Moms Doula, Mary Calderon, said she felt like “a modern-day Latinx Santa” while delivering gifts to the young moms in our Family Support Program. Mary placed the presents on the front porch and waited in her car as the family grabbed their packages. Mother, father, and toddler all smiled and waved to her from the porch as they retrieved their gifts. When Mary returned home, she received a text from mother expressing her appreciation for all New Moms has done for her during her parenting journey.
“I want to give a big ‘thank you’ to all the volunteers and everyone who donated holiday gifts for the families in our programs. The support from the community has made a huge impact in making this holiday season special for our young families. Donor support really helps us go the extra mile as we partner with parents in their journey!”
– Mary Calderon, New Moms Doula
Thank you to all who made Operation Santa a huge success for the second year in a row, and we all wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
