Group asks for public’s help in providing gifts for the needy
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IDAHO FALLS -— An organization in Idaho Falls is asking for help to provide gifts for families in need this holiday season.
An organizer for Better Together Initiative, a nonprofit that helps people overcome substance abuse, addiction, natural disasters and poverty, said it’s been difficult to fulfill Christmas wishes this year.
“This year has been the hardest year I’ve seen yet. I’ve still got at least four families that have not been picked up and adopted yet,” said Kristy Kirkpatrick, director of operations.
Kirkpatrick told EastIdahoNews.com there are Christmas trees with tags that have gift items typed on them. The trees are scattered throughout the community at multiple businesses to help adopt a family. Anyone can grab a tag, buy that item and bring it back to the business so it can be donated to that specific family.
Kirkpatrick said she picks up the gifts with volunteers, wraps them and delivers them with Santa to the families at their homes.
“You start hearing the kids screaming, ‘Santa is here! Santa is here!’ These kids’ faces light up. There’s nothing like it. It is so beautiful,” she said.
This year, however, Kirkpatrick said they are struggling to fulfill certain items for families.
“We had multiple house fires in Idaho Falls over the last couple of months, and we help all of those families. It’s easy for someone to take a tag for a Barbie doll or a pair of socks. It’s not so easy for those tags with washers and dryers and replacing your whole life,” she said. “Those tend to get a little harder, and these families have a lot more teenagers in them, and teenagers are a lot harder to get people to pick as well.”
Kirkpatrick is encouraging gift card donations to teenagers. She also said if you want to pick up a tag to adopt a family, go to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill, Muddy’s Place, or Blue Wave.
Kirkpatrick formed the Better Together Initiative with her friend Natalie Schmidt in October. Kirkpatrick said she wanted a way to give back to the community after the community gave so much to her when she was struggling in her life.
“I lost my husband in 2008 and kind of took a wrong path. In 2014, I was in jail (for possession of narcotics) through Thanksgiving, and I got out right before Christmas, and I was just kind of scared. I hadn’t been sober in five years,“ she said. “I was looking for a way to stay sober and I decided to Adopt a Family for Christmas just as kind of a way to keep busy and doing the right thing and it grew from there.”
Kirkpatrick started the Adopt a Family program in 2014, which helped 500 local families. She’s merged the concept to the Better Together Initiative, which has helped nearly 30 families so far.
She is grateful for the opportunity to help others.
“I love that our community gets involved with this,” she said.