This is the IVY Home Christmas Party, and for many of the residents, it’s the first Christmas Party of their adult life. Ask many of them about Christmas, and they tend to ignore it. They don’t want to celebrate. It doesn’t take much thinking to know why.
I’ve heard some of their stories.
Childhoods that are as intense as “A Child Called It” or “Educated” where Christmas happened on TV and to the children around you.
Christmas spent homeless.
Christmas spent in prison.
We gathered yesterday for our second Christmas celebration. The Apostolic Christian Church hosted us for the second time. They gave us the keys and trusted us with their space for free. We partnered with another Sober Living called Connections to share the load and give Christmas to more people.
We shared a meal, devotional, Saran Wrap Ball Game, Bingo, and gave away a brand new bicycle. My Dad, Scott Strahm, made the meal for us and donated around $600 in cash and gifts for the Saran Wrap Balls. United Way of the Plains GIV Warehouse donated the bicycle and numerous Bingo Prizes.
Amayah (my daughter) wasn’t allowed to attend the Christmas party. I had to break the news to her, and she cried multiple times as she processed the news over days. If she attended many of my residents couldn’t because of restrictions regarding sex offenders.
We had one brief conversation together where I asked, “Could God ask you to do something and not let you enjoy the reward?”
I’m proud of the child who spent more than four hours creating Saran Wrap balls of Epic proportions – about 1.5 ft tall and 2 ft wide – and decorated the church for Christmas.
