Give the Gift of Family

By: Kathleen Strottman

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store?  What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”  — Dr. Seuss

One of the fundamental traditions of the holiday season is the practice of giving gifts.  Despite the best attempts of retailers to convince us otherwise, deep in our hearts we know that the true meaning of this holiday season is discovered more through the act of giving than in any one particular gift.

Perhaps there is no better example this spirit of Christmas than the famed O. Henry short story about the very poor young married couple who each sells their one and only most treasured possession to secure the funds to buy a gift for the other.   Although the story ends with each of them left with gifts that neither one can use, they realize how far each was willing to go to show their love for each other and how priceless a gift of love really is.

This is one of the few times each year that people all over the world are reminded of the need to stop and celebrate what really matters in life;  to focus less on the quantity and quality of our material gifts and more on life’s  more precious treasures such as faith, love and family. For me, the mission of CCAI seems all the more urgent at this time of year.  Maybe because the children we are blessed to spend the year advocating for have but one wish on their list: a family.  What their heart yearns for most is something that cannot be purchased, wrapped up and put under a tree.  Or maybe because all year long their faces are constant reminders of one basic truth:  that lasting happiness does not come from having things, but rather from having people to share our lives with.

As you finish your own preparations and get ready to spend the holidays with those you love, consider making a donation to CCAI.  With your help, we can keep the important lessons of the holiday season alive all year round.  Because of the gifts we have been fortunate enough to receive in years past:

• 2,000 Angels in Adoption have come to DC to be honored for their work and left with a renewed passion for serving children in need.
• 1,000 D.C. foster youth have had their Christmas gift wish lists filled by Congressional staff.
• 150 former foster youth have had the once in lifetime opportunity to spend a summer interning for a Member of Congress and making a direct impact on Capitol Hill.
• 12 countries have been visited by Congressional delegations with an interest in promoting a family for every child.

While these numbers bring us great pride, there is only one number that in the end matters to us: zero. We believe there should not be one child living outside the love and support of a loving family. Help us reach this goal by donating to CCAI.