An annual event Saturday served hundreds of families experiencing homelessness in North Texas.
For the past 25 years, Rainbow Days has hosted “Saturday with Santa”. Hundreds of stockings filled with toys, treats, and essential items were given to families.
Kelly Wierzbinski is the Director of Family Connection at Rainbow Days. The non-profit’s mission is to help children and youth facing adversity.
About 650 people were served Saturday, Wierzbinski said.
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“I want these children and families and parents to know that somebody cares about them in this world,” she said. “It’s a chance for volunteers in the community to show that there’s somebody that care about them. We want to give them that sense of hope that they will get through this and they will be resilient.”
Every year, the non-profit helps more than 9,000 at-risk and homeless children and youth in the Dallas area. Organizers say the issue of homelessness has grown due to the pandemic and more recently, rising food costs.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
“We have a feeding program where we serve families living in motels, and it’s increased almost twice as much as it was last year at this time,” Wierzbinski said. “A lot of people just think of the person standing on the street. They don’t think about the children. There’s over 1,000 children on any given night in Dallas that are homeless. They’re living in cars. They might be living in a motel on the floor, sleeping in one room with the whole family.”
Parents were also able to leave Saturday with gifts for their children.
For the past three months, Tiana Watson has been working with Interfaith Family Services. The organization helps families in crisis, with the goal of breaking the cycle of poverty. Getting help with presents this year is helpful, Watson said.
“When you’re a single mother who has not a lot of support, it helps with finances. You don’t have to stress, like…how are you going to get your baby a Christmas present,” she said. “At the end of the day, you want them to have great Christmas.”
The event Saturday was made possible by hundreds of donors and about 200 volunteers, including Susan O’Suilleabhain.
“I feel that the moms know there are people who care about them, and we’re able to bring the spirit of Christmas to their children,” she said.
Rainbow Days was founded in 1982.
