Mom says thanks to Empty Stocking Fund
Thanks to the Empty Stocking Fund, Christmas means good memories for Mary Sumann and her young daughter, Bretta.
For two Christmases in a row, Sumann was a client at Charlford House, a residence in Burnaby that helps women overcoming substance addictions.
The Empty Stocking Fund and the Burnaby Christmas Bureau made Christmas memorable at a time when Sumann couldn’t afford any Christmas extras for her daughter.
When Sumann started living at Charlford in December, 2015, things had deteriorated for her to the point that Bretta was in foster care.
“Things were looking pretty bad for me,” she said.
“I didn’t know what was going on really. I heard about Charlford through a drug-and-alcohol counsellor. She helped me to get in. It was pretty well the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.”
She choose Charlford because it allowed Bretta to visit her on weekends during her recovery.
The first Christmas she was there, the Burnaby Christmas Bureau provided gifts for Bretta that included a Little People Castle which has moving knights on horses and princesses plus a fluffy Care Bear. The second year, after Sumann graduated into the second stage at Charlford, Bretta got a My Little Pony castle with ponies on a carousel accompanied by music along with books and educational toys.
Bretta, her mom said, was “absolutely ecstatic” over her Christmas gifts.
“The Empty Stocking Fund allowed me to give my daughter a really good Christmas on Christmas morning,” Sumann said.
“I have pictures of her opening those presents. It provided us with good memories.”
In 2016, as part of her treatment at Charlford House, Sumann helped with a toy and clothing drive at a church in Burnaby.
Bretta, now 4 ½, has been back living with her mom for a year.
“We’re very grateful and indebted to everything that Charlford did for us,” Sumann said.
The Empty Stocking Fund celebrates its centenary in 2018.
Charlford House is a 15-bed residence where women stay for a minimum of 90 days, but most stay for five to seven months, said Miranda Vecchio, executive director of Charlford House Society for Women.
About 60 women a year are treated by Charlford, which has been in operation since 1970. It follows the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Charlford House was founded by Thelma McPherson, who started by bringing women living with addiction into her own home. Then she rented a small house on Charlford Avenue after which the organization is named.