Though its not quite Halloween, at Humanity House we have been planning Christmas for quite some time.
When Santas Toy Shop is being taken down, plans for next year are getting started. When the lights come down, ways of changing it up for the next year are rolling around.
For us, the lighting of our square is something that we take very much to heart.
We wrap every tree with the thought that someones Christmas will be brighter. We know that there are single people who have no one to share Christmas with. There are families who cannot afford a bright, magical Christmas.
There are families who have everything that they need for Christmas but want to be able to drive their children around the Humboldt and Iola town squares to enjoy the magic of the lights.
People young and old love to get out and stroll down the sidewalks and read the cards attached to the trees, with each card representing a person who cared enough about giving a gift to their friends and neighbors that they adopted a tree or display.
For Humanity House, that is what it is all about: giving to others; a small act of kindness that brings our communities together.
We are not out to make money. We are not a commercial business. We are only able to do the things that we do food pantry, laundry, help with utilities, classes, growing and giving away produce, and all of the toys, lights, and every other little thing that makes Santas Toy Shop happen through caring acts of kindness from people who are generous, thoughtful and kind.
If we can have a parade with 400 or 500 kids singing or playing kazoos and Santa arriving in a beautiful carriage, we have done our part to make Christmas special for all the people of Allen County.
If our efforts to make sure that everyone in our county has a beautiful Christmas display and a magical time at the toy shop also helps make Iola a Christmas destination in Kansas, thats terrific, and we are happy for the retailers in our area. But its not our focus, which is on the people who live here and making sure everyone has access to a little Christmas magic every year.
So, we have great plans for the square in Humboldt and the Iola courthouse lawn. If you would like to help bring a little holiday cheer to our communities this year and adopt a tree or help adopt a display, $20 goes a long way. Please contact us at 620-380-6664. Our Christmas activities and decorations, along with nearly all of our programs, only happen totally through your generosity, volunteerism, and kindness.
As always, kindness matters!
