Home for Christmas

If you have any questions about when to sign up, where to bring gifts, or want more information, please contact Kristy at admin@realityolympia.com.

Volunteers: There are a lot of opportunities to volunteer in a variety of areas. We will be assigning volunteers to 2 hour shifts.

CLEANING
Taking out trash, doing dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, emergency bathroom maintenance, etc.

SECURITY
Walk-through observations, resolving or redirecting conflicts or unsafe behavior, directing guests, etc.

GIFTS
Collecting and wrapping gifts and monitoring the gift exchange table

ACTIVITIES
Providing movies, games, raffle items, kids table activities, and interacting with guests throughout the day.

HOSPITALITY
Prepare and replenish snacks and drinks, monitoring food trash throughout the day, welcoming guests, etc.

We are also looking for any people who would be interested in being a Coordinator for any of these areas. This person/group would take this area on and coordinate the details with the assistance of the main event coordinator.

Donations: We are looking for donations for raffle items, wrapped gifts, food, warm clothing items, etc.

GIFTS: The following are suggestions or ideas for possible gifts. Don’t feel limited by these. We only ask that if you donate a wrapped gift to label it appropriately (i.e. Boy 3-5 yrs, Woman, Man, Girl 13-18yrs, etc.)
Kids: toys, dolls, stuffed animals, action figures, books, mittens, gloves, socks, warm scarves, hats, candy, etc.
Adults: health & beauty items, books, compact games, mittens, gloves, socks, warm scarves, hats, candy, etc.
***Please DO NOT include gift cards or bibles in the wrapped gifts.

RAFFLE ITEMS: The following items should remain unwrapped.
bicycles, mp3 player, prepaid phone/cell phone cards, gift cards, etc.

Bibles can be donated but will be available to those who want them rather than included with a gift.

FOOD: There will be a Christmas meal available during the day, but in addition we will be providing snacks throughout the day. If you’d like to donate, consider the following:
chips, pretzels, cookies, doughnuts, sweet rolls and breads, crackers, cheese, sodas, juices, and any other holiday style snacks or drinks you can think of.

WARM CLOTHING: If you have or know of a resource for new/like new warm clothing, you can donate these items as well: coats, socks, weather-appropriate shoes, scarves, gloves, blankets, etc.

tra·di·tion [truh-dish-uhn] noun

1. the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs,information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice: a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.
2. something that is handed down: the traditions of the Eskimos.
3. a long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting: The rebellious students wanted to break with tradition.
4. a continuing pattern of culture, beliefs or practices.
5. a customary or characteristic method or manner: The winner took a victory lap in the usual track tradition.

We (I’m speaking for the average human) love tradition. We love to take something that we’ve found value in, something that has sparked a strong emotion or thought, and preserve it. We want to revisit it. More than that, we want people around us to enjoy it as well. So we ask our friends and family to appreciate it. We teach our children to see the value that we see in it. Some traditions are short-lived. Like the time I decided I was going to make a “from scratch” Thanksgiving Dinner every year (all that survived was the stuffing because it was oh so yummy, and the cranberry sauce, because it was oh so easy). Some traditions last generations.

One tradition that has lasted generations is gathering for the holidays. Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years the average long distance traveler is driving anywhere from 240-275 miles. The average long distance traveler is 34-36 years old. There are some other really interesting “averages” about holiday travel here but my point is this: around the holidays there are a lot of people going places. Where are we going?

We’re going home. It’s a long-standing tradition that around the holidays we are going to set time aside and go home to gather with the ones we love. Be it parents, neighbors, friends, cousins, siblings, we are making it a priority to go home and be together. It’s a great tradition.

Unless of course you don’t have a home, or a family who will invite you to theirs. Every year homeless families and singles spend Christmas on the street. Shelters close up during the day and those without homes will be wandering the streets or bundling up should they be in a harsh winter area. In Olympia we see this every day. At Reality we see this on our literal doorsteps. Why is this even more heartbreaking at Christmas time? Because of the tradition we all share that brings us joy. Because of the tradition that we see some have no chance to engage on their own: having a home for Christmas.

At Reality we’ve started a new tradition: Creating a Home for Christmas. Sparked by one of our family members, Cody Simmons, and carried through at the hands of Reality and numerous other Olympian churches, non-profits, local businesses and patrons.

This is our fourth year of opening the doors at Reality to provide a home to those that don’t have one on Christmas. We celebrate with food, games, movies, gifts, and most importantly, the opportunity to gather in love. Every year volunteers have decided to take what they treasure at Christmas-time (gathering at a home with people you love) and sharing that with others. Some share part of their day volunteering and socializing, others spend their entire day making a “home” possible.

If you have any interest in being part of this tradition, providing a home for Christmas to those that don’t have one, take a look at this list of opportunities to serve (click the blue words!). Perhaps you will see an area where you’d love to get your hands busy with the work needing done. Perhaps you will feel led to donate money, materials, time or gifts. Or, perhaps you would like to come and spend time with the people who need a home full of loving people. We would love for you to think and then pray about how you might participate sharing this tradition of having a Home for Christmas.