It’s the season of giving, a woman in Florence is partnering up with organizations to make holidays special for children in need.
“Hopefully we can put a smile on some of these kids faces,” said organizer of ‘Embrace’ LaShonda Nesmith-Jackson.
The holidays are tough for parents when trying to balance basic needs and holiday expenses, but LaShonda and other community members are making sure kids have the perfect toys under their Christmas tree.
“During Christmas time we always had people that would fall off, and didn’t make their payments or would have to decide between Christmas and other things. So this will help them out a little bit and give them something during Christmas,” said Nesmith-Jackson.
Giving back to the community was a goal LaShonda always had, and said she’s fortunate she’s continued this for nearly 10 years.
“We never want to see a child that doesn’t have anything for Christmas,” said Nesmith-Jackson.
Volunteers say seeing kids smile during this event and picking out their favorite toy makes it all worth it. “I’ve been in need before and it was a blessing when people gave to me, and helped me. So I just want to return that favor and give people that same feeling,” said volunteer Jonathan Strickland.
