brittany-photoshoppedRehab Wish Tree brings single mom holiday hope

The season may be blogo2right with the excitement of children’s “sugar plum dancing in their heads,” or of dasher and dancer and lonely little Rudolph.

But, for mothers and fathers of less abundant means, the holiday tugs at their hearts.  Do they pay their bills late to make a memorable Christmas for their child? Certainly none suffer more with this dilemma than Brittany, a single mom, living on her SubCon Industries pay with higher than usual heating bills nipping at her wallet.

While tucked under a warm comforter during winter’s first Arctic blast, Brittany is off work as she recuperates from a broken ankle. Despite her circumstances, she is hopeful her nine-year-old daughter, Maggie, will receive a favorite toy for Christmas this year. “Maggie loves Shopkins and we’re hoping The Rehab Center Wish Tree will be able to help us get them for her,” Brittany said. Maggie lives with Brittany, and her grandmother Norma, and uncle in a small trailer in Olean.

“She loves doing crafts,” Brittany said, adding last year’s Wish Tree gave Maggie craft makings which made her Christmas brighter. The family trailer may be small, as Norma says, but they manage. And, it seems, the family’s financial circumstances don’t limit Brittany’s abundant smiles and hopes for a happy Christmas for her daughter.

 

There are more than 150 requests for items on The Rehab Center’s Wish Trees, located at the YMCA Olean Branch on Wayne Street or Good Times of Olean. Many requests are for warm clothing and household necessities and are between $5-$25.

 

To help a family like Brittany’s simply take a tag off the tree, purchase the gift and return it to either location with the tag attached. You can also sponsor an individual or family online at www.rehabcenter.org/wishtree

 

The Rehab Center Wish Tree is a community collaboration that helps bring meaningful Christmas gifts img_2023to the people The Rehabilitation Center supports and their families, who may not receive a gift otherwise.

Thank you for making the holidays brighter for the people we support!