5 ELVES OF INTEREST
The
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BY WILLI MILLER
PHOTO BY ED DRONDOSKI
For 19 Vero Beach families this holiday season,
60
Santa will come not in a sleigh pulled by Rudolph
and his friends but in the form of some very caring
people.
At the Homeless Family Center (HFC) in Vero
Beach, Elf (aka volunteer coordinator) Marie Lumenti has
been busy gathering her team of 30 or so volunteers who will
create a merry Christmas for the families spending their holiday
at the center. “The holidays are very difficult for so many
people in all walks of life, for a whole variety of reasons,”
Lumenti says. “Imagine also being homeless
at Christmas!”
She adds, “HFC works very hard to provide a happy but
realistic Christmas for its clients. The children are our biggest
concern. We want them to feel special without creating
unrealistic expectations for future Christmases in their own
homes.” Along with donated decorations, the younger residents’
handmade ornaments adorn the ceiling-high Christmas
tree and the halls and common rooms at the center.
On Christmas Eve, volunteers serve the residents a special
holiday dinner. Some of the volunteers will have prepared
the meal themselves.
Later, when the children are asleep, the elves help Santa by
leaving gifts at the door of each family, Lumenti says. “We
want each and every client to know they are special and they
are loved. Parents usually do not ask for any gifts for themselves;
they just want their children to be taken care of. Many
times a child will ask only for socks or shoes.”
The next day, when the gifts have been opened and Christmas
dinner has been eaten, the residents are free to visit families
and friends, but all will have contributed to the holiday
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HFC’S YEAR-ROUND WISH LIST
On HFC’s year-round wish list are the items needed
to provide regular care for its residents: food (chicken,
hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeses), paper products, laundry
detergents, personal hygiene items, diapers (sizes 4 & 5),
blankets and sheets, towels, a vacuum cleaner, and gift
cards to Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, Publix, Home Depot and
Lowe’s.
The Homeless Family Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt organization. A United Way Agency.