Share your Christmas with a Springfield family in need. Here's how you can donate

The holiday season puts stress on seemingly everyone.

There is the stress to decorate. The stress to identify and buy the perfect gifts for everyone. Stress to cook, to entertain, even to find the joy in everything.

The season that stretches from today, Thanksgiving Day, through Christmas and the New Year can be daunting, particularly if your budget is already stretched to the breaking point.

But for about 30 Springfield-area families and more than 80 care-center residents, Share Your Christmas will relieve some of that pressure. Children will find presents overflowing Christmas tree skirts and the care-home residents will find sweet treats and other treasures typically beyond their means.

Sheryl Wachter, the volunteer who organizes the annual program co-sponsored by the News-Leader and the Council of Churches of the Ozarks’ Crosslines, says there are many reasons why families are struggling this year, but COVID-19 remains a common thread.

Stories No. 1-4: Share Your Christmas: While a welcome surprise, triplets still put stress on new parents

Stories No. 5-8: Share Your Christmas: A grieving grandmother now has extra grandchild to care for

Stories No. 9-12: Share Your Christmas: Double amputee mother needs help after injury

Stories 13-16: Share Your Christmas: Cold weather reduces Dad's work schedule

Stories 17-19: Share Your Christmas: Diabetes diagnosis leaves truck driver dad jobless, family in need

“COVID is still a word that you’re going to see over and over again in the stories,” Wachter says. “People have been sick, and when you’re an hourly wage worker, that means there’s no paycheck when you’re home with the children or sick.”

Other families have struggled with deaths, serious health issues and more. One working mom had the choice of repairing her vehicle and keeping her job or repairing her furnace and keeping her child warm. She chose the vehicle and the job in hopes of eventually scraping up enough money to pay for the furnace repair later.

Wachter explains each of the Share Your Christmas recipients are carefully screened to ensure they are qualified for the program. Along with proof of identity and financial circumstance, they each give a short explanation of their situation and a reference Wachter can visit with to get a better understanding of what that family is facing.

Stories No. 20-23: Share Your Christmas: Mom's budget stretched thin, help needed to brighten kids' Christmas

Stories No. 24-27: Share Your Christmas: Single mother of two needs help through difficult time

Stories No. 28-30: Share Your Christmas: Mom and Dad stay positive despite family's difficulties

Stories No. 31-34: Share Your Christmas: Despite health issues, Mom and Dad still hope kids have nice Christmas

Stories No. 35-38: Share Your Christmas: After many years away, mom seeks help due to health, work, child care

The reference “can’t be the neighbor, can’t be the sister. It has to be the teacher, the pastor or their employer,” she says. “I visit with the family to get more information about the situation they’re in and make some choices.”

Wachter notes numbers are down somewhat this year. Many years, about three dozen families are helped and more than 100 care-center residents.

Wes Buchholz, director of Crosslines, says numbers are down across the board so far this season.

“Our Thanksgiving numbers are down. We’re used to serving about 800 families and we’re just at 700,” Buchholz says, noting “it’s not a drastic drop by any means.”

Stories No. 39-42: Share Your Christmas: With no family near, mom raising 1-year-old twins seeking help

Stories No. 43-46: Share Your Christmas: Mom cares for three small kids while dad works the night shift

Stories No. 47-49: Share Your Christmas: Financial difficulties lead cousins to share a home

Stories No. 50-53: Share Your Christmas: Kind-hearted family with illness and money problems looks for help

Stories No. 54-56: Share Your Christmas: Despite health problems, large family stays positive

Stories No. 57-60: Share Your Christmas: Grandparents care for kids while Mom deals with mental health issues

He suspects there are a variety of reasons for the drop, beginning with how the pandemic affected how families apply for help along with how the federal child tax credit may be affecting some families’ decision-making regarding applying for assistance.

“We’ve gotten a lot of questions about that child tax credit,” he says. “There are some agencies that count that as income. For us, that’s not income. That’s a tax rebate.”

He says traditionally, appeals for help fall off during the spring tax season, when refunds start rolling in.

Buchholz says he knows that while numbers may have dropped, need hasn’t. He urges families to continue to seek assistance and use the tax credit to pay off debt or otherwise better the family’s situation.

Buchholz points out anyone reading this today still has a week to apply for help with Christmas.

Wachter says she’s optimistic Springfield’s historically generous community will again come through for the Share Your Christmas families.

She points out that while groups are welcome to adopt entire families, “you don’t have to adopt all five kids. You can adopt one child.” Smaller donations are also very welcome. Dollar bills can stack up in a hurry and will help fill in the blanks with items such as clothing, household cleaning supplies and toiletries.

“It’s always such an uplifting and joyful day when the families come to pick up their gifts,” Wachter says. “Almost without exception they’re overwhelmed by the gifts of our community. Not only the children, but we also help them with the toilet paper and the laundry detergent. That’s what makes the whole project worthwhile: When we see we’ve been able to provide a little Christmas cheer for these families, and maybe relieve a little stress.”

About Share Your Christmas, how to donate

Share Your Christmas is the News-Leader’s and Crosslines’ annual campaign to give readers the opportunity to share their holiday spirit with others. This year, about 30 families and more than 80 care-center residents will have a brighter Christmas, thanks to Share Your Christmas donors.

Families and care-center residents may be adopted by a single donor or by a group working together to help one of the larger families. Donors may adopt an entire family, one family member, donate a single gift, or donate any amount of money. Every dollar helps. Readers who wish to donate gifts can call Share Your Christmas at 417-866-8008. Callers should refer to the story number they wish to help, and they will be given specific information, such as clothing sizes.

Gifts must be delivered to the east side of the Crosslines building, at 615 N. Glenstone Ave. The hours to deliver gifts are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 11. The final day for gift delivery is Dec. 14. If you are unable to deliver donations at these times, call 417-866-8008 to make other arrangements.

To make a monetary donation, send a check payable to Crosslines, Share Your Christmas, and the story number if applicable in the memo line. If the needs of that family or care-center resident have been met and you are willing to help others in the Crosslines holiday programs, please write “or as needed” in the memo line. Donations can be made at http://crosslinesholiday.org/give/ or mailed to Share Your Christmas, 615 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield MO 65802. Monetary donations are welcome any time of year.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: How to adopt a Springfield family or child for Christmas, help donate