Chapter One
The Residential Program
By Debra Thompson,
Development Associate – Special Events Manager

Ted George played Santa to a young boy at the St. Matthews FOP's annual Christmas party.

The children
enjoyed a
visit from Santa.

Thanks to many generous and kind hearted donors, our children had a bountiful and fun filled Christmas. The children woke up on Christmas morning to find many beautifully wrapped gifts around their Christmas tree. Clothes, toys, candy and music filled each living room, as the children opened their gifts.

This was a first "real" Christmas for several of our residents. While writing their letters to Santa, one 10 year old boy pulled on my sleeve and asked to talk to me alone. We sat down and he whispered "What am I supposed to do?" I explained that he could look through all of the catalogs and write down the things that he wanted for Christmas. He smiled and asked "You mean I can write down three things and I will get them!?" I told him "You can write down whatever you like, then on Christmas morning, your presents will be all wrapped up and under the Christmas tree." His smile broadened and then he leaned over and whispered "This will be the best Christmas ever... you know why? Because I've never had a Christmas before." It may be hard for our readers to believe that this was his first Christmas, but it was apparent to all around him on Christmas morning that, indeed, it was. One residential counselor who worked with him that morning said "He smiled all morning and even got excited when he unwrapped batteries for his toys and stood up to show everyone."

A special thanks to Panera Bread, Mercer Transportation, Mary Lou’s Elves, St. Matthews FOP, the Francis Family, Barnes and Noble, Market Finders Insurance, the Italian American Association, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mill Creek Elementary School, Gilmore Lane Elementary School, Holy Spirit School, St. Patrick Church, and the Kentucky Housing Corporation. We hope that your holidays were as special as ours and thank you again for helping "rewrite our children’s lives."