“After you feed people for Thanksgiving and Christmas, what do they do for the other 363 days a year?  They still need food, shelter and people they can rely on to help figure out how to put food on the table and pay the rent,” Angela stated.

This week, I introduce Angela, a young woman with two children living in the city of Springfield. I had the pleasure of interviewing Angela about her experience with SCAN 360, a community based program located in the heart of Springfield that provides holiday assistance as well as services and support throughout the year.

Knowing the people you serve

“The problem is that some people and programs only show up during the holidays. SCAN 360 helps me during the whole year, so by the time Christmas comes they don’t have to ask me to write a list. They know what we need, because they know me and my family.”

For some people, support during the holidays means a small gift or a meal; enough to make the holiday season special.

For others like Angela and her family, there were bigger challenges in her life that she wanted to address. SCAN 360 knew the difference and built a relationship that provided support beyond the holiday season.

Setting goals can make a difference

“I had gone to other programs in the past and they made me feel like a number. At SCAN 360, they really care about me and my family, not just during the holidays, but all year. Some bigger groups just let people take the gifts and not work on any goals that will make their lives better. I needed to do more.”

If your organization provides assistance during the holidays, be sure you are aware of people like Angela who are ready to set goals that can change their lives. Offer the turkey, but also be ready to talk about making a budget for the coming year.

It may be a bigger task, but after listening to Angela, I think it is worth it.

What do you think?