I have an idea for the Holiday season.
Since the holidays are soooo stressful for many people, and can be especially difficult for many of our kids, let's do a not-so-secret "Supportive Santa" thing for Board members who choose to participate.
Here's how it will work:
For the next week I will compile a list of who is interested in participating, then I will "draw names" and match people with their "Supportive Santas" next Sunday, December 4. You will be contacted via email to tell you who will be supporting you, and who you will be supporting. You will support your person from December 4 until December 25, or longer if you wish.
Everyone who "plays" will get to have a family/person to support, and someone else will have them to support.
Everyone who wishes to participate will be emailed a form to fill out which will ask for your name, address, email address, phone number, kids' names and ages, specific likes/dislikes and allergies, and anything particular that they are especially stressed about. You will need to email the form back to me by noon (Mountain Time) on Sunday, December 4, and I will email out the form from the person you will be supporting by 8:00 p.m. that same day.
The support doesn't at all have to be about spending a lot of money. It could be about sending a funny card, being available for a phone call, sharing a tradition, researching pertinent topics to help with kid issues, lending books or giving personal advice, etc.
It could also involve an ornament exchange - each family could make/select an ornament that represents their family/culture/ethnic heritage/region and send it to the family they are supporting. That would really put older child adoption on everyone's list of things to be thankful for when they look at their tree.
Other ideas for being a Supportive Santa - letters from the kids in one family to the kids in the other family, sending hand-made baked goods made by the kids to the other family, or sending a little stocking stuffer to the kids in the family, and an adult stocking stuffer for the mom (a scented candle, a good book, box of tea, a bottle of tequila, hahaha.)
Want to do this? Of course you do! We all know the holidays are filled with obligations and giving things to others when your heart isn't really in it. This is something for you, and from you, that you can do because you want to.
To "sign up" please PM me with your email address, then I will email you out a form.
(I really hope this can become a fun tradition for families of older adopted children across the US and Canada to personally connect. If, for some reason, though, we don't get enough participation to match everyone who wants to play, I'll email you to let you know.)
Hope to hear from you soon!
~Svenna
Since the holidays are soooo stressful for many people, and can be especially difficult for many of our kids, let's do a not-so-secret "Supportive Santa" thing for Board members who choose to participate.
Here's how it will work:
For the next week I will compile a list of who is interested in participating, then I will "draw names" and match people with their "Supportive Santas" next Sunday, December 4. You will be contacted via email to tell you who will be supporting you, and who you will be supporting. You will support your person from December 4 until December 25, or longer if you wish.
Everyone who "plays" will get to have a family/person to support, and someone else will have them to support.
Everyone who wishes to participate will be emailed a form to fill out which will ask for your name, address, email address, phone number, kids' names and ages, specific likes/dislikes and allergies, and anything particular that they are especially stressed about. You will need to email the form back to me by noon (Mountain Time) on Sunday, December 4, and I will email out the form from the person you will be supporting by 8:00 p.m. that same day.
The support doesn't at all have to be about spending a lot of money. It could be about sending a funny card, being available for a phone call, sharing a tradition, researching pertinent topics to help with kid issues, lending books or giving personal advice, etc.
It could also involve an ornament exchange - each family could make/select an ornament that represents their family/culture/ethnic heritage/region and send it to the family they are supporting. That would really put older child adoption on everyone's list of things to be thankful for when they look at their tree.
Other ideas for being a Supportive Santa - letters from the kids in one family to the kids in the other family, sending hand-made baked goods made by the kids to the other family, or sending a little stocking stuffer to the kids in the family, and an adult stocking stuffer for the mom (a scented candle, a good book, box of tea, a bottle of tequila, hahaha.)
Want to do this? Of course you do! We all know the holidays are filled with obligations and giving things to others when your heart isn't really in it. This is something for you, and from you, that you can do because you want to.
To "sign up" please PM me with your email address, then I will email you out a form.
(I really hope this can become a fun tradition for families of older adopted children across the US and Canada to personally connect. If, for some reason, though, we don't get enough participation to match everyone who wants to play, I'll email you to let you know.)
Hope to hear from you soon!
~Svenna
