KALAMAZOO, Mich. — With Christmas just four days away, Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries is working around the clock to make sure families in need have something special under the tree.
As a resident living in the shelter since March, Rosa Copeland wasn’t sure if Christmas would be an option for her 14-year-old daughter.
“I didn’t think she would have any, because of the situation,” she said, “I'm just happy that instead of her not having a Christmas, she gets a little one.”
With the help of community members and local donations, the shelter will be providing 59 families with free gifts.
Not only will children receive new toys, but they will receive new clothes.
“We have toys from infants through teenage kids, and they get to basically shop for what they know their kid likes,” said volunteer Jennifer Schmitt.
The shelter uses a large room to store hundreds of brand new toys, parents are allowed to pick out six toys for each of their kids.
All gifts are wrapped by volunteers and the parents pick the gifts up on Christmas Eve.
“It's so much fun to come and wrap and know the joy that these kids are going to have when they open their presents on Christmas morning,” Schmitt said.
