LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Christmastime is the season of giving. Giving is what St. Vincent de Paul prides itself on: giving opportunities, giving hope, and once a year giving some Christmas cheer to families throughout Louisville.
St. Vincent de Paul will open up it’s Santa Shop on Saturday, Dec. 13. The shop allows families to choose presents that were bought and donated for kids to have something to open up on Christmas morning.
“It’s always just a very warm, fun, joyful event for everybody,” said St. Vincent de Paul CEO Jennifer Clark.
“It’s not just, you know, you come in and you get a set of pajamas or usually families walk away with like an entire bag full of presents for each child in their home. And you know, it’s stuffed animals, it’s clothing. We have stuff for older kids as well. We serve everybody 17 and under, so it’s really a fantastic tradition,” she continued.
Clark says that this year they will serve more than 1,000 kids in the community. Shoppers are given a time slot to choose their gifts and it’s all at no cost to the shoppers.
Sabrina Woods will be one of those shoppers. This is her first time using the Santa Shop, and it’ll be her first time celebrating Christmas in a long time. Woods was unhoused, for years as she battled addiction. Recently she was able to get a place to stay on St. Vincent de Paul’s campus.
“I haven’t had no Christmas in the past. It was just me by myself, so I wasn’t able to have no Christmas like to enjoy it with my grandbabies,” said Woods.
“They give me so much joy. That’s the thing, they give me the strength and the energy too. And that’s what makes me keep going, my grandbabies,” said Woods.
Celebrating the holidays this year means the world to Woods. It’s a step towards her new start. She says her immediate goals are to buy a washer and dryer and a car. Those are two things that she can ask Santa for, but on the 13th she’ll be thinking about what her grandkids want and how she can make this Christmas a very special Christmas.
“This is going to be my first time but I know I’m going to be happy and thankful for whatever.”
For more information about the Santa Shop, click here.