As of Thursday afternoon there were six families left who needed sponsors for their children to have a visit from Santa Claus this year. Right now, the Sub for Santa program is seeking stand-by volunteers for last-minute help.

Each story has been poignant and, in some cases, recipient hopefuls have shared their most critical needs to keep their children warm and clothed.

One such family that still needs a Santa’s helper is single mom Candace and her two young children. Candace comes from a foster care background and doesn’t have much family to rely on this time of year.

She separated from her abusive husband in 2020. Candace had a part-time job, but due to COVID-19, her place of work shut down.

“Over the past year I have worked very hard to try to find a job that I can do from home so I can still take care of my children,” Candace said. “Many jobs have turned me down because my children are distractions from the work that they want me to do.”

Candace is getting a little bit of help from a grandmother, but it’s not enough to even think about buying Christmas gifts. She said she has even been on Facebook marketplace looking for free items people might be giving away or donating that are for children. She is trying to give her little ones some kind of holiday cheer.

Candace is not new to Sub for Santa as she started using the program two years ago.

One of the hardest things for Candace is finding a job that will work with her schedule, having two children under school age. When asked how her experience with Sub for Santa has been, she is quick to say she loves it.

“Last year was my most emotional and I didn’t have a penny to my name. These two ladies showed up with a truck full (of gifts) and I cried with them for about 30 minutes. I was blown away by the willingness that others have to help,” Candace said. “As much as I’ve felt alone in my struggles and trials as a single mom, there are so many amazing people out there willing to put their time and money to provide for other’s needs. It’s given me a looking glass into the community especially in my neighborhood.”

The one thing Candace and her children are looking forward to is making Christmas cookies together and waiting for Santa Claus.

The children are a boy and a girl. Both children need shoes, pants and shirts.

The oldest is female, almost 4 years old. She wears a size 5 in both shirts and pants and a shoe size 10. Her favorite color is pink. For books she would take anything age appropriate like learning books, story books, etc. She likes listening to music and writing on worksheets.

The youngest is a 2-year-old male. He also needs onesies as part of his clothing request. He wears a pant size 18 months and tops size 24 months. His shoes size is a 6 and his favorite color is green. He likes books that make sounds and would like a bubble blower and a kids table.

All names of Sub for Santa participants have been changed. To help a family like this one, call the Sub for Santa hotline at (801) 356-6300 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays or visit https://subforsanta.org.