On Your Corner, In Your Corner: Making Holiday dreams come true for children in need
IRVING (CBSNewsTexas.com) - For one nonprofit in North Texas, this is the most wonderful time of the year, prepping to ensure the children they serve have a wonderful Christmas holiday.
Year-round, Be an Angel's primary goal is to provide essential services to severely handicapped, medically fragile, or deaf children in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This includes supplying wheelchairs, adaptive equipment, and hearing aids.
But during the holiday season, they transform into Santa's helpers, spreading joy and gifts to those in need.
"We are thrilled! This is our very favorite year at Be an Angel, as we get to find, locate, and research great Christmas gifts for these special needs students that we serve," said Marti Boone, Executive Director of Be an Angel.
David Hardin, Chairman of DFW Be an Angel, explained, "They're the ones that are in need, and we get to provide labor and access to the gifts that they're going to enjoy."
This year, the organization is extending its hand to support almost 700 families with special needs children, more than double the number they assisted last year.
In 2022, Be an Angel launched this chapter after learning that there were approximately 22,000 special needs children across the DFW area in need of support. "Just being able to provide a few gifts really eases the burden for them," Boone said.
All the children who benefit from Be an Angel's support are enrolled in local school districts across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, with teachers playing a crucial role in identifying and nominating students and families to participate in this heartwarming initiative.
For the October shopping day, over 50 volunteers gathered to help make dreams come true, spending over $25,000 on the kids.
Danielle Diaz, one of the volunteers, shared her perspective on the experience, saying, "The joy of giving, and also the joy of volunteering, goes a long way. You never know who you are helping. But you will definitely see those smiles when they get their presents."
