The Only Christmas for Some

Every December, CSC hosts a Christmas for our outreach clients. Primarily our outreach clients consist of children that came and spent time at CSC but then returned to their birth families. And since most of the time children came to CSC because of some crisis in their family, the situation the children return to is less than ideal. In fact, it's always less than ideal. Quite often we must return children to home situations where we know there is going to be crisis and even suffering on a continuing basis. The Philippine justice system does not give us a choice. Except in extreme cases, if parents want their children back, they get them back.

Because of those continuing crisis situations, CSC has routinely kept its foot in the door trying to help many of those children through some kind of assistance. Often it is educational, medical, or job training assistance for the children and their families. We also host an annual Christmas party for these children and their families. And because of their situations, it is certainly their only celebration of Christmas.

Each year we are able to bring a little joy to these wonderful children for an afternoon. They get to come and visit the shelter, have a party for a few hours, play some games, eat some good food, receive some gifts, and hear an evangelistic message about what Christmas is all about and how it can be meaningful in their lives. It's also a great time for the staff to get acquainted with many of the kids we once cared for. Often it is apparent that the kids and their families are struggling mightily, but occasionally we are surprised by how some of the kids have broken free of the desperate poverty and crisis that has consumed their lives.

We know that God continues to know all of their needs and loves each one of them. We're grateful for the chance to have an impact in their lives and to see some of them benefit from it. We're also grateful to be able to bring Christmas to their lives - the only celebration of Christmas they may know.