Sub for Santa wraps up another season with many helping hands
Volunteers sort holiday book donations.
Melissa Gordon, a volunteer of 14 years, looks through information on a computer as bags of gifts are prepped to be taken to families as part of the United Way of Utah County's Sub for Santa program Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, at Community Action Services and Food Bank in Provo. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Volunteer Mickey Glasson interviews a potential Sub for Santa applicant during the Christmas holidays. Dec. 15, 2019.
Every year, following the Sub for Santa volunteer Christmas rush, the United Way of Utah County gets cards and letters from families and individuals thanking them and resident volunteers for their generosity.
One of many anonymous cards received this week said, “Words will never be enough to tell you how grateful we are. This year has been so hard for our family and without your generosity and loving heart, I am unsure of how we could have given our son anything for Christmas. God Bless.”
Recipients
Data released by the United Way of Utah County Sub for Santa program shows just how generous these Santa’s helpers were and what that means for families and particularly the children of Utah County as they start 2020.
According to Bill Hulterstrom, CEO of the United Way of Utah County, 1,697 families received help through Sub for Santa in 2019. That includes 4,991 children.
Giving Tree/Angel Trees that were dispersed throughout the county assisted 702 children and senior citizens.
“This year’s recipients carried common themes like medical and job loss issues,” Hulterstrom said. “Housing costs were also a growing reason for certain family needs.”
While the numbers are very close to last year, Hulterstrom said he was amazed that 61% of the recipient families were first time applicants.
Jill Smith (name changed) and her family of six children were first time recipients. They recently moved from Oregon and it was the first time in three years the children had a Christmas of any kind.
“It was completely amazing,” Smith said. “Our sponsors were 15 college students. The kids got everything on their wish lists. We never expected this. We can’t express how awesome it was.”
Smith said the volunteers delivered the presents and even put them under the tree, met with the family and took photos as a memory for the kids.
Smith works only 28 hours a week right now and is the main financial support of the family. Her husband is looking for employment.
“These were people in unusual circumstances that shared their needs,” Hulterstrom said.
The program is looked at by other areas in the country.
Volunteers
The key to having such a successful program is the volunteers.
“We find there are scores and scores of volunteers who want to help,” Hulterstrom said.
Mickey Glasson is one of those volunteers who spent much of her Christmas time first helping to interview potential applicants, discussing finances with them and making children’s wish lists. She then helped sort toys, clothes and books in the warehouse. Glasson was involved in every aspect of the process.
“It was my favorite part of Christmas. I’m 45 years old and this was my most meaningful Christmas,” Glasson said. “There really is a Santa. It’s a community of people coming together and giving hope.”
Glasson also said after filling bags with toys there is really a Santa’s workshop too.
“So many caring people stopped with bundles of toys just as we needed them,” Glasson said. “When I was filling orders I saw children being cared for and loved and they felt like they mattered.”
Glasson said she will do this again next year. “I won’t skip any part of it.”
For Glasson, volunteering was a spiritual event and what she believes to be the true meaning of Christmas.
Volunteers were key in running successful open houses, warehouse sorting, delivery nights and individual family sponsorship. In 2019 there were 966 individual volunteers that served directly with the Sub for Santa program.
Corporate partnerships are also a very important part of the success of the Sub for Santa program, Hulterstrom said.
The Giving Tree at University Place had one community member adopting more than 60 teenage children off of the tree.
Ancestry.com sponsored 100 disabled golden angels, Adobe sponsored 127 children, Nu Skin 120 children and Smith’s Marketplace had three Angel Trees filled with names that were helped, according to Kayla Bradshaw, United Way Volunteer Center manager.
Bradshaw noted that Workfront made about 440 stockings for teenage golden angels living away from home. The Brutten Family donated $50,000 to keep Sub for Santa Plus year-round programs running.
The process
Getting help for Christmas isn’t just about putting your name on a list.
“Participants in the Sub for Santa program must first attend an open house to determine financial need and connect them to community resources,” Bradshaw said. “They meet individually with a volunteer that helps them through the process. Eighteen open houses were held from Lehi to Payson.”
Families are assigned to a program where they are sponsored directly by a community member (Sub for Santa) or each child’s name is placed on either the Giving Tree or an Angel Tree where their gifts are brought to the Sub for Santa Warehouse, sorted and delivered by volunteers.
“Each child received 2-3 articles of clothing, 2-3 toys, and 3-5 books through Sub for Santa and its programs this Christmas,” Bradshaw said.
