Pikes Peak United Way asks for 31 more sponsors for 31 D-2 families in need during the holidays
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - With the Holiday season coming into sharp focus, Pikes Peak United Way is asking for help with sponsoring 31 more families in Harrison School District 2.
The sponsorship includes buying basic necessities alongside something fun for each family member. The families are selected by each school in the district.
"When you see a kiddo asking for a toothbrush, that kind of hits you a little bit different," Heather Steinman, Chief Operating Officer for Pikes Peak United Way said.
The sponsorship website offers a brief snapshot of what each family needs and wants for the holiday season. Many of the descriptions include things like winter jackets for kids, pots and pans, and hygiene items.
"It's a great exercise for your family to do together to see ... how you could impact a family and what you could possibly do to really bring joy to a family this holiday season," Steinman said.
Pikes Peak United Way has been partnering with D2 for the last three years for this holiday tradition. They've also been partnering with the district to help families get other kinds of resources in their area, like opening the Family Success Center.
This year's gift-giving sponsorship, however, isn't just about spreading holiday cheer. It's about giving families a step up into stability.
"If you don't know where and how you're going to fill your belly or just your basic needs, then you just that your next step doesn't matter because right now you're just in survival mode," Steinman said.
To help, other families can choose a family on their website and buy the gifts that the family requests on the website. Steinman also mentioned that many of the families chosen by the district have a traumatic past, and that impacts their access to basic needs.
"Our goal is to stabilize families, get these kids opportunities to have a space where they don't have to constantly be in a state of emergency, and stabilize a family so that we can then help them move on to the next level of their life," Steinman said.
The deadline to sponsor a family is December 3rd.
