Can you spare a few bucks for a courageous family? (A message from Jake.)

Just before last year’s Christmas in the City party, the mayor called and asked if we could help a family out.  Of course we could! I met a single mom and learned about her three kids, and their 12 years in and out of shelters. I also learned about her incredible devotion to her kids. They came to the party, and the mom came up to me at the end to thank us. She was crying – tears of heartfelt joy.

Three weeks ago, she walked in to see us. She was ecstatic! She had found a home in a great neighborhood in South Carolina, and was so excited for her kids. She told me how difficult things had gotten in Boston for her 15 year old son due to gangs and “turf wars.”

Her son had been so happy to receive new sneakers at Christmas in the City. Unfortunately, the first day he wore them to school, he came home wearing an old pair of sneakers. She was horrified, but her son told her that there was nothing either of them could do…

Shortly thereafter, the family left for South Carolina, and it was a dream come true.

A week later, the constable and police showed up at her door. To the mom’s horror, she was told that they had to fly back to Boston to face charges that she had kidnapped her kids and fled with them.

Back in Boston, she stood before a judge and her husband, who had brought these charges.

The judge learned that the father hadn’t been around for the last eight years, didn’t even know his younger children and had made up these charges because he had learned that she had her first house. He was just looking to exploit her. The judge sentenced him to jail.

As the family was going to be heading right back to South Carolina, the mom dropped in to see me, just wanted to thank us again.

When she went to pick up her kids, she came upon a big crowd gathered around a young girl on the ground, and an ambulance. As she got nearer, she recognized the girl’s sneakers and was horrified beyond belief. It was her daughter.

Nobody had known it, but her daughter had been born with a hole in her heart. If it hadn’t been for the EMT’s, she would have died right then and there.

Two days ago, the daughter had life-saving cardiac surgery.  So the mom and her sons need to stay in Boston for the next few weeks while her daughter recuperates.

This courageous mom could use some help to cover the costs of subway rides, food, and incidentals.

How about it?

Can you spare a few bucks to make a hard life a bit easier for this courageous mom and her family?

If you’re downtown and want to drop in, we have a donation bucket going at KBPT at 45 Franklin Street.  Or you can donate online here  – just let us know that the donation is in honor of “SC Mom.”

As always, your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Note: This is just one example of the many times during the year that Christmas in the City helps our friends and neighbors in need, which we’re able to do thanks to the generosity of our suppporters.