After flood damage and financial strain, a Secret Santa surprises single mom with early Christmas gift
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A local Secret Santa is giving $1 million to deserving people in eastern Idaho this holiday season. Every day, from now until the end of the year, the East Idaho News elves will be delivering gifts from Secret Santa and we’ll be sharing the surprise videos here.
A hardworking single mother, Jessica is raising three children — a son in college, a daughter who is a high school senior and an almost 5-year-old. For years, she worked whatever jobs she could to pay the bills, sometimes with her youngest child strapped to her chest while she clocked in.
Last year, she achieved a lifelong dream when she purchased her first home. But just months after moving in, that dream came with an unexpected setback. Heavy water damage from a flooded basement caused thousands of dollars in repairs. Jessica drained her savings fixing the grading in her backyard and installing drains to prevent future flooding.
She also discovered after buying the home that the oven didn’t work, something she’s been quietly dealing with for nearly a year by relying on a stovetop and microwave.
Despite the challenges, friends say Jessica never complains. Instead, she remains positive, resourceful and focused on helping others. She has devoted much of her life to nonprofit work across the region, including extensive volunteer efforts with a local soup kitchen and the Community Food Basket.
Secret Santa asked the East Idaho News elves to deliver a gift for Jessica this Christmas. Check out the video in the player above!
