SEASONAL RELIEF
Single mom comforted by Santa Claus Fund’s help in providing Christmas gifts for her child,
Miranda McNaney has kept all of the gift boxes her 4-year-old daughter has received from the Santa Claus Fund — one every year since she was born.
They serve as a reminder, she said, of the excitement her daughter, Addison, felt and the kindness of strangers.
“It’s a comforting feeling, knowing you have something to give your child on Christmas,” said McNaney, a single mother from Brampton. “I’ve had to face many struggles while raising a little one on my own, but things like these gifts really help make a world of difference.”
The Santa Claus Fund is a charity initiative that provides and delivers Christmas gifts to 45,000 underprivileged children aged newborn to 12 across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Ajax and Pickering. The presents, age specific and gender neutral, are delivered by volunteers.
Recipients receive a gift box with a warm shirt (toddlers get a fleecelined tracksuit while newborn infants get a five-piece set that includes onesies), a warm hat, warm gloves or mittens, socks, a toy, a book, cookies and dental hygiene items (aged 4 and up) inside. Every dollar raised goes toward the cost of the gifts.
It’s the only present many of the kids will receive this holiday season, which is why the gift boxes aim to cover the basics and then some.
Arecipient of the Ontario Disability Support Program, McNaney is unable to work due to arthritis and depression. The arthritis in her knees makes it difficult for her to stand for more than four hours at a time. McNaney has struggled financially and the boxes, she said, help ensure that her daughter has a gift she loves.
“Christmas is hard for many parents,” she said. “You have to pay the bills still, but you also want to be able to give your child something.”
When she was born, Addison was premature and weighed just four pounds. She received her first gift from the Santa Claus Fund as a newborn. Just a few months old, her mother helped her unseal the box and lift the lid.
Last year, Addison opened the box on her own, tearing away the tissue paper. Inside she found a toy, cookies and mittens, among other things — and her favourite item — a book.
McNaney said she would like to go back to work, and hopes to give back to the foundation next year and help the Star reach its goal of raising $1.7 million.
Her aim, she said, is to enable other children to feel that same excitement and joy her daughter has felt for the past four years opening her Star box.
“It’s such an important initiative and people need to support it. I really hope to be in a position next year where I can, too,” she said. If you have been touched by the Santa Claus Fund or have a story to tell, please email santaclausfund@thestar.ca.