Holidays are an important time for families to come together and celebrate. This time of year can be particularly challenging for Silver Lining families for many reasons. Most notably, at least one family member is not there with them. There can also be significant financial strain and stressors that come with the chaos and demands of the season. Most Silver Lining guardians are elderly grandparents living on fixed incomes, may have difficulty with driving/transportation and have limited capacity for participation due to things like other family responsibilities or health concerns/restrictions.
Maintaining normalcy is such an important factor in helping children that have experienced trauma and it is no different at the holidays. Maintaining family traditions or simply having experiences similar to their peers is essential as we know the kids just “want to be like everyone else.”
In addition to the normal monthly funds the families receive, at Thanksgiving they are provided extra funding to support increased expenses associated with the holiday.
In December we host our Christmas Party at the beginning of the month, and it is the last family event of the year. All the families are invited to attend and have a blast participating in activities from crafts to gingerbread house decorating or karaoke. Santa always makes an appearance, and each Silver Lining child receives a gift and stocking. The adults are provided Visa gift cards to fund any holiday shopping for gifts, food, decor, etc. This year we also provided some fun family crafts and activities for them to take home. As with all our events, we provide gas cards to cover the cost of transportation so there is no expense for the families to attend.
Our hope is that by providing extra funding and activities that some of the stress is relieved for the aunts/uncles, grandparents and siblings that have taken guardianship of the children. These events also provide a safe place for the children to enjoy holiday festivities. The adults aren’t responsible for bringing anything and the kids are free to be themselves knowing they are with other children just like them.
Throughout the year we recognize other holidays by sending the kids something fun in the mail or celebrating in person if it falls near a family event.
To learn more about the importance of Silver Lining events we invite you to read part 2 of our Children and Trauma Series.