Vacaville family gets charitable for holidays
As residents of Vacaville’s famous Candy Cane Lane — a neighborhood that puts on festive Christmas displays every year — Abe and Maria Jackson always deck their house with lights, inflatables and other props while Abe dresses as Santa to greet passers-by.
However, the Jacksons take it a step further by giving back to the community.
In recent years, their home in the 100 block of Shady Glen Court has hosted a Not-So-Spooky Halloween event for children with special needs, a Thanksgiving food drive and a Christmas event for military families. This year, they will be collecting toys for their first-ever toy drive with gifts being distributed to the Vacaville Fire Department.
Maria said the toy drive stemmed from her own experiences growing up, where her parents did not always have the right resources to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas the way others would.
“I just get emotional during the holidays thinking about the families not having that meal that they can’t afford for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or the children waking up Christmas morning and not having that gift,” she said. “I was that kid going to the fire department and getting that Pound
Puppy that I still have, that little Cabbage Patch Preemie.”
The support from the community instilled a sense of giving in Maria, something her husband also shares. For a year as chaotic as 2020, they feel it is especially important to spark happiness.
“If we can just get that one moment to give them joy, why not do it?” Maria said. “That’s where our heart lies right now.”
Abe said the first community holiday event they hosted was a Halloween party for students at Hemlock Elementary School, which their kids were attending.
Three years ago, they hosted their first Not- SoSpooky Halloween, which gave children and adults with special needs a night to celebrate the holiday without feeling overwhelmed by crowds or noise. The event typically features a not-so-haunted house in their garage with more friendly characters like Jack Skellington or Snoopy, but this year, the Jacksons hosted it in a drive-thru format.
“We still had to have it this year,” he said.
The event has also been supported by Pink Heals Solano, a local organization that provides support for families dealing with cancer, which Abe said has promoted the event each year.
“A big part of what they do is bring people a sense of comfort,” he said, “and bring a smile to people. That’s what Pink Heals does: get people through tough times. This year, if nothing else, was a year of a tough time.”
T he Ja ck sons a lso hosted their first Thanksgiving basket three years ago for families in need. This year, Maria said they raised enough money to cover 38 families in the area.
“That came about with donations from the community, our friends, our family,” she said.
This was the first year of their Thanksgiving drive, where they collected food for families in need and offered a free pantry out of their garage.
“We actually set up shop in our home,” Maria said.
“We had our neighbors let us borrow their deep freezer to hold those turkeys and those pies.”
Now, the Jacksons will be hosting their inaugural toy drive. They will have a bin in front of their home which people can donate to every night. Maria said unwrapped toys for ages 0 to 17 as well as gift cards will be accepted, and Abe will be out dressed as Santa on most nights while their kids will be dressed as elves.
Maria said their five children have been a tremendous help with their holiday events, whether through greeting passersby or going to stores to help pick out presents for kids with the money donated to them.
“It comes from a kid’s perspective, like ‘ What would I like if it was coming to me?’” Abe said.
Maria said it was a good way for her kids to learn the concept of paying it forward.
“It’s not about what we would like for Christmas, it’s about helping somebody else,” she said. “That’s what we’re basically trying to implant in them: always pay it forward, always be there for someone, always make them smile, and help them whenever they need that help.”
The Jacksons are members of The Father’s House and participate in the church’s programs like Adopt a Block.
“Pre- COVID, our family was here just about every Saturday,” Abe said. “(Our kids are) very used to giving.”
Abe hopes people take away that they do not have to be wealthy to perform acts of kindness for others. He also hopes they can be able to provide happiness, even if just for a moment.
“All we’re hoping people get out of this is go from your heart,” he said. “Do something nice for someone else, make someone else smile.”
“Even during a pandemic, there can be joy,” he said.
The toy drive will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. daily except Wednesdays, when it will be held 6 to 9 p.m., at 136 Shady Glen Court. On Dec. 18, Santa and his elves will load the toys up and deliver them to the Fire Department, where they will be distributed through the department’s annual toy drive.