2 charities come together, bringing holiday magic to those who need it most
WEST SAYVILLE, New York (WABC) -- Thanks to two organizations, Every Child's Dream and Christmas Magic, roughly 500 kids in need got to enjoy a winter wonderland at Sayville High School.
The kids the event hosted have endured the likes of food insecurity, domestic violence, and homelessness, circumstances which Christmas Magic founder Charlie Russo believes should not keep these kids from celebrating the holidays.
"It's unbelievable, the courage that they have to overcome, the obstacles that are in their path," Russo said. "Little kids don't get a chance to make a decision about being homeless, right? They- They are. So we do as much as we possibly can."
This is only one of several events Russo takes part in during the holiday season, and what began as a lesson to his kids has grown into an event that helps so many.
Russo calls it all a "combination of some of the most wonderful people that I've ever dealt with and met. From the kids that we service to the mothers that struggle every day. Every year, it just reminds me of what Christmas is all about."
The attendees have endured a lot, with one sharing how she is in a family shelter, another having lost her house after her father passed away.
"We've been homeless about a year," said one attendee. "We just got them back. We've been going through a lot. I'm very grateful that no matter what we've been through, we're still together. We're still fighting."
And what the hundreds of volunteers at the holiday event do spans a wide range, helping so many who need it most.
"We are inviting families to come in and have a sit-down dinner," art teacher Jennifer Berotti said. "They can shop in our clothing boutique and our candy store, where everything is free, by the way."
In addition to providing help and joy to those who need it most, the event also reminds the volunteers of the value of giving back.
"A lot of communities like this don't understand that there are so many people that are living in poverty," said Every Child's Dream founder Karen Mangan. "And this, if it teaches them one thing, that for the rest of their life, they have to give back and they have to recognize that there are people who are not as fortunate as they are, then we've done our job."
And the students volunteering demonstrate exactly that, with James Regan asserting that Christmas magic is "something that every child deserves to experience in their life."
"I always love to see the kids' smiling faces, and it's always worth it," said one student volunteer, Annabella Hart. Another student volunteer, Ella Trama, added that the event is "a great opportunity to let everyone come here and feel cared for and supported for."
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