Years later, sisters get their chance to give back
Women want to help fund that gave them a reason to be excited Christmas morning
As a child, Emily Portelles thought the Star boxes were gifts from Santa Claus. But that belief was only a bubble that popped with age.
“As I got older, I understood that it wasn’t Santa — it was a foundation that people were actually donating to,” she said. “For me, it was a real eye-opener.”
Portelles and her sister, Penny Barsoum, remember receiving Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund boxes as children. Now they want to volunteer their time delivering boxes, to help the fund that gave them a reason to be excited Christmas morning.
“It was so wonderful, exciting and joyful as a little girl to receive them,” said Barsoum. “It’s an honour for me to give back and bring that joy that we had receiving them to somebody else.”
The sisters, part of a family of 10, grew up in Toronto housing. Their mother worked two factory jobs and their father worked as a driver. Each child received only one gift from their parents that Barsoum later discovered her mother would pay off incrementally.
“She would take a little bit from every paycheque until she paid it off months after Christmas,” said Barsoum. “I had no idea it was so hard.”
“I guess for some people, it’s not much,” said Portelles.
“But we grew up really poor, so a hat, gloves and a bag of candy went a long way.”
Portelles, a child-and-youth counsellor at Toronto District School Board, says because she was once a recipient of the gift boxes, volunteering will have a different flavour. “It’s more than just jumping on a band wagon (to deliver boxes), you know? It has so much more meaning,” she said.
“If I never experienced the other side, I don’t know if I’d be so open to giving.”
Barsoum, a registered nurse, says the fund targets children who need it most, “because (she) was one of them.” Now, with a10-year-old son of her own, she hopes she can take him along with her to deliver the boxes so he can learn about charity and giving. “I’m hoping I can tell him when I was alittle girl, this is something the community did.”
Micheal is part of the ASLAN Boys Choir and has participated twice in the annual Santa Claus Fund Christmas Carol Concert. Seeing her only child on stage, performing, is an emotional ride for Barsoum.
Community is what Portelles says volunteering is all about. “We’ve lost community along the way,” she said. “I believe by volunteering, we can make community happen again.”
Portelles expects to see embarrassed families, because they’re receiving donations, but says for a lot of families, they’ll be happy and relieved that there will be something under the tree this year.
Once again, the sisters will spend Christmas with boxes from the Star. This year, Portelles says, because they’re giving back, will be more magical than ever. If you have been touched by the Santa Claus Fund or have a story to tell, please email santaclausfund@thestar.ca.