Couple gains custody, needs holiday help
The Elks Club presents Press Christmas for All with a $5,000 donation. From left, Elks Trustee Dick Gardner, Press Managing Editor Mike Patrick, Elks Secretary Mary Lou Riley, and Elks Exalted Ruler Pat Braden. LOREN BENOIT/Press
With Christmas Day just weeks away, the cost of keeping their kids safe is weighing on this dad and stepmom.
The couple recently gained full custody of the dad’s two children after their mother, a drug user, could no longer care for them.
Bringing the children, ages 5 and 7, to live with them has taken every penny the couple had.
The greatest expense was getting into a home large enough to accommodate the expanded family. They had to rent a new place and spend money on the move.
“We also have had to start over as the kids came with nothing but what they were wearing,” the stepmom told Press Christmas for All.
“We are struggling to even figure out how we are going to pay for our power bill.”
The thought of providing a festive holiday for the children is daunting for the couple, so they asked for help from Press Christmas for All.
This is the 32nd year Press Christmas for All has worked to brighten the lives of people like this during the holiday season.
The program helps everyone in need, including struggling young families, seniors, people with disabilities and mental illnesses. Many are alone, and despair is a common factor.
Through Christmas for All, these less fortunate neighbors feel the compassion of a caring community during what can be a very difficult time of year for them.
Each year, Press readers donate generously to the program. The money collected is distributed in the form of gift cards to those who might not otherwise be able to put a holiday meal on the table or purchase a small gift for a child.
Press Christmas for All is managed by The Hagadone Corp., with assistance from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. It is a legally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, run entirely by volunteers at The Hagadone Corp., the Coeur d’Alene Press and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.
Every penny raised is distributed to needy Kootenai County residents. All overhead costs are covered by The Hagadone Corp. and the volunteers at Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.
Donations are tax-deductible and can be made by dropping off or mailing a check to: Press Christmas for All, 215 Second St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.
Online donations can be made by visiting goo.gl/WospPG.
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Thomas and Adriene Wiechert; David Seidner; Raymond and Patricia Pollard; Evalyn Adams; Constance Williams; Christine Pierce; Cancer & Community Charities; Lois N. Johnson “In Memory of Harry E. Johnson”; Joe & Diane Dahlheim; Robert & Marilyn Hunt; Elizabeth Martin In Memory of Hank & Betsy Martin; Sandra & Ronald McCoy; Donald & Donna Bresemann; Aloys Glose; Gwen Letson; Margaret Goolie; Arlene Pischner.