The leaves are gone and the snow is falling and the holiday season is in full swing in Chicago. It's hard for me not to smile when walking around and seeing the decorations along the city streets, but it is also a reminder that the holiday season can be a stressful time for others in our communities. It can be hard to feel warm and fuzzy feelings if you are struggling to make ends meet and provide the basic needs of a family. Emphasis is often put on what one will "get" which is why our family tries to focus on what we can "give" to others, especially in the month of December. What you give can be as simple as a little kindness - a smile to someone you pass on the street, making room on the train after a long day or patience to someone who needs it. Other times if we have a little extra in our wallets we will give by buying a meal or warm gloves for our homeless neighbor.
This December OshKosh B'gosh partnered with Macaroni Kid to help us give a dose of holiday cheer to some local families in Chicago. I reached out to the non-profit HelloBaby to see how we can help children served by their community center and thanks to OshKosh B'gosh's support we were able to shop for twelve kids in need of some literal 'warm and fuzzy' this year.
Debbie Frisch, founder of HelloBaby, and I met at the OshKosh B'gosh store on Addison armed with a list of kids and got to work filling our basket with fleece pullovers and pants and had so much fun picking out just the right colors and prints for kids from infant to school-age together. The best part was that when I totaled it all up at the register we were under budget and were able to add a pair of gloves for each kid! The great everyday prices and a wide selection of sizes made it possible to shop for twelve kids on a $175 budget. My three-year-old daughter was along for the adventure and even at her young age, she was able to appreciate the experience of giving to others. Giving is clearly a lesson that can be taught from early on.
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Now is the hard part while our family waits to deliver the presents to the families on December 16th at HelloBaby!
| Learn More About HelloBaby We understand that the challenges facing many parents in the City of Chicago are daunting. We created HelloBaby to help meet the needs of underserved families following our collective hearts and consciences, with each detail and every decision. From that vision, we formed guiding principles that help support our programs - principles we continue to revisit and refine because ultimately, we simply want to be, create and do better. Our guiding principles are:
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