Oxford Charger Christmas Kids celebrates its 10th anniversary with gratitude for all who contribute to this holiday project
Written by Leslie Criss | Illustrated by Martha Whitaker
A decade ago, when Tara Denevan’s firstborn son Brody was in first grade, he composed his Christmas wish list and sent it to the Oxford Eagle to be printed in the newspaper. As most of us did as children at Christmastime, he included the desires of his little heart, assured Santa had a limitless bank account.
When Brody’s mom read her boy’s list, she saw an opportunity for a teachable moment.
“I just felt like he had no sense of the situations of some of the kids sitting next to him in class,” she said. “I wanted him to know there were kids whose lists included a few simple necessities like coats or clothing.”
Denevan and Amy King, then a counselor at Oxford Elementary School, were acquainted through Love Packs, a local nonprofit that helps to feed hungry children in the Oxford/Lafayette community.
“Amy called me a few days before Christmas break,” Denevan said. “She said she had 11 students from Oxford City Schools who would likely have little or no Christmas. She asked if I could help.”
Immediately, Denevan offered a resounding yes and texted her “amazing network of friends,” who also said yes to helping. Gifts on 11 lists were purchased, dropped off at the Denevan home and later delivered to the kids.
The next year there were 25 students, and once again, the endeavor, which became known as Oxford Charger Christmas Kids, operated totally out of the Denevan house.
By the third year, a building was secured for the dropping off of gifts by volunteers and the picking up of gifts by the parents of the students.
Now in its 10th year, Oxford Charger Christmas Kids will provide gifts for 423 kids from 152 families.
If Denevan and her team members were ever overwhelmed, it might have been the second year when 11 students more than doubled to 25.
“I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh — 25. I can’t do more than that,’” she said.
But year after year, the number of students and families in need of Christmas continued to grow, and Denevan and helpful community members continued to step up.
For the Denevans, it’s a family affair. Brody, now 16, and his sister Lila help.
“I wanted to do something the kids would want to be a part of so they would know what others might be going through,” their mom said. “My kids and their friends have been a part of it every year.”
Here’s how Oxford Charger Christmas Kids works. Students’ wish lists come from city school counselors or administrators and are paired with a donor family.
The family shops for not just one or two things on the wish lists, but everything on the lists, things like clothes, undergarments, shoes, toys. It’s all anonymous to the kids. When the shopping has been done and the gifts have been delivered to a specific place and bagged, the parents of the kids are contacted, and they pick up the gifts.
“The parents may choose for the gifts to be from them, from Santa,” Denevan said. “We never want these parents to feel they are less than great parents. Sometimes we fall on difficult times.”
Donors who contribute are families, businesses, Ole Miss organizations. They all come together these six weeks every year and give their all to help others.
“Oxford families commit to the entire wish list,” Denevan said. “Some donors might have a single child’s wish list; others may take multiple kids’ lists or even shop for a family’s request.”
On the 10-year anniversary of this labor of love Denevan started, she wants to offer abundant gratitude to the many people who have helped the past decade — the donors and the community.
“I want them to know that what they’ve done has made such an impact on our community,” she said. “It is a great way to give back to kids in your kids’ classes. Chargers helping Chargers. People take care of their own in our city schools.
“The best part of the whole thing is its anonymity. The kids just know it’s there on Christmas morning. No one knows the many team members make the magic happen, and it could not be done every year without them.”
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