This was going to be a column about the most-viewed stories of the year. At least it started out that way.
I had this idea that it would be interesting for readers to hear from the editor about what stories got a lot of traffic on our websites.
We have lots of ways to analyze that. Right in front of me I had the list of e-mails we sent our subscribers, and what stories those e-mails contained. And we have the statistics on which e-mails are opened by the most people.
Another way we can judge how viewed a story is? Our Facebook statistics.
We post links to many of our stories on Facebook, where users can click and read them. It’s the way thousands of us get news today.
Again, I had the report on which posts got the most clicks.
I went through both, and let’s just say it’s been a tough news year and we’re all quick to click on murder and mayhem. But I thought, well, these are stories that got the most attention, at least by this analysis, so maybe readers would want to revisit them.
Then I remembered that it’s Christmas.
So instead, I thought I’d share another story that affects thousands and deserves attention too.
At 9 a.m. on Dec. 1, The Empty Stocking Fund opened Santa’s Village on Memorial Drive in Atlanta.
When it closed down a few days ago, families of thousands of kids had received gifts that made it under the tree this morning, something the Empty Stocking Fund has done for 89 years.
The ESF was started by some employees of this newspaper, the “Group of Cheerful Givers.” That’s one of the reasons I’m a member of the ESF’s board of directors, honoring the tradition of our roots with the charity.
In those nearly nine decades, the ESF has prospered during good times and bad.
“This is truly a grassroots, Atlanta-supported organization,” said executive director Manda Hunt.
This year 47,674 Atlanta children received gifts through the ESF’s work.
In order to provide those gifts, Hunt, who is one of just two employees at the charity, depends on donations of about $1 million. For about $20 in costs, a child in need gets a full complement of gifts, including toys and books. If you’ve been Christmas shopping at all, you know that $20 doesn’t go far, but ESF knows how to stretch a dollar.
The ESF is unique in a number of ways, but two things stand out:
- Of the money donated, almost all of it comes from individual donors who give around $100. Many charities have to depend on grants from foundations and large companies for a big share of their budgets. The ESF gets that kind of support, but it's only about 10 percent of what it receives; the rest comes from people giving on an individual basis.
- Volunteering at Santa's Village is such a meaningful experience that people clamor to do it. Much of Hunt's time is devoted to making sure as many volunteers as possible spend time in the Village.
I’ve volunteered, and it’s easy to understand why people relish it.
Parents in eligible families (based on income) come to Santa’s Village, which is set up in a warehouse. They go to a small “showroom,” where they can pick from various gifts based on their child’s age.
Then a volunteer takes the parent’s list, and in a shopping cart, gathers the gifts from the warehouse.
From there, the parent takes the gifts home and gives them to the child in whatever gift-giving traditions the family has.
Sherena Mitchell of Lithonia got gifts this year for her three girls and son.
“It’s been very helpful to me and my family,” she said. “It’s about the experience.”
The logistics behind acquiring toys and managing the operation is the key to the Empty Stocking Fund’s longevity and efficiency. It’s not easy do this for $20 per kid. So how does Hunt do it?
Hunt and program services director Rick Harris begin acquiring toys in March through wholesale closeout dealers. They buy toys in bulk, and then have them shipped to the organization’s warehouse. It’s a year-long operation to organize and prepare for the December rush.
That’s how the ESF gets its hands on about 200,000 toys and gifts.
As the ESF looks to the future, Hunt has her eye on a permanent home and warehouse. Currently the organization rents or depends on someone who will let it use such a site.
“As nomads, we have reached the limit of what we can do on an annual basis,” Hunt said. “A significant portion of our time is expended looking for space, configuring space, moving, and communicating our new location to the thousands of families we serve and volunteers who help us do what we do.”
Of course, financing a permanent home would be a big challenge, but Hunt is convinced it would let the ESF do even more good.
“Our gift distribution model is so efficient that we could easily expand our Santa’s Village operation to include residents of counties beyond Fulton and DeKalb,” she said. “We could potentially use the same approach to do a back-to-school backpack program, ensuring that every child starts the year with the supplies and materials they need to be successful.”
Hunt has been involved in the organization for 11 years. And like many who volunteer, she finds it lifts her spirits this time of year. So, even on a rough day, when a family or volunteer might complain or things might not go perfectly in the village, she finds focusing on the “good news” is more helpful than focusing on the negative.
“I consciously choose to focus on those who pull on my sleeve as I’m passing by and simply say ‘thank you,’” she said. “I choose to remember the bright eyes of the parents as they enter the showroom to see their gift choices. I choose to feel joy when we receive a thank-you card in the mail from a family in need whose holidays we helped make bright.”
In the spirit of Hunt, I hope you get some time this week to steer clear of any bad news in your life and focus on the positive. And I hope your family’s holidays are bright and any traditions you embrace are filled with meaning for you and your loved ones.
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