Being away from home during the holidays can be hard. For us, the holiday season is usually marked with festive gatherings with friends, visits with extended family in the midwest, and traditions around putting up our outdoor lights, playing in the snow, and eating far too many Christmas cookies. When we found out in October that our unborn child was at risk of being born premature and was also going to need specialized medical care only available in Houston after birth, we knew that this Christmas season was going to be different. And while our Christmas was certainly different, Christmastime at Project Joy and Hope was also wonderfully magical.
The most precious part of this Christmas season was being able to be with our three-year-old son, and my parents. Project Joy and Hope’s Tulip Project housing has allowed my family to temporarily relocate to Houston together. Their ability to house all five of us of us comfortably is perhaps the best gift we got this Christmas. I cannot imagine how much harder this season would have been if we had been separated from our toddler because we could not find sufficiently sized housing within our budget. In fact, this Christmas, my younger brother was also able to join us for the holiday. Project Joy and Hope made it possible for us to celebrate this season with family.
We have also been blown away by the generosity of the Pasadena community this Christmas season. A true highlight was the Christmas Carolers who came to our door. Our three-year-old excitedly sang along, and ever since has greeted everyone at the door with a carol and a hearty “Merry Christmas everyone!” The events with the other residents, like the Snow Day and movie night have allowed us to make new friends. Our son excitedly refers to “my friend next door” and loves to play at the playground with him.
Originally from the Midwest, my husband and I are used to a “white Christmas.” Traveling home during the holiday season is also usually a chance for our son to experience true winter weather. We thought that we would be forgoing that experience this year. However, Project Joy and Hope once again made the magic happen: 40,000 pounds of snow was delivered the week before Christmas, and we had so much fun making snowballs, building snow forts, and running around in a field that was literally covered in a good ½ foot of actual snow. Our son had so much fun that he insisted on going out again the next day, spending hours longer playing in snow.
Christmas morning was truly something special—there have never been more presents under the tree. The friends of Project Joy and Hope literally showered us with blessings: there were brightly wrapped packages for everyone, and it was a really joyous morning. The day was capped by having a delicious Christmas dinner, which had been donated by Phillips 66. We got to eat all our favorites, despite lacking the hordes of relations to split the cooking with.
While our Christmas this year took place away from home, Project Joy and Hope made it incredibly special. We got to spend time with family and new friends. We got to open generous gifts, eat an amazing Christmas dinner, and even got to play in the snow! In short, Project Joy and Hope made this Christmas one that we will always remember, because even though we were geographically far from home, Project Joy and Hope made us feel like we were home for the holidays.
Kassie Felder