An older couple in Brockton have had custody of their daughter’s children since December 2015.
Their daughter and the father of the children were addicted to drugs, the grandmother says. The children were living an unstable life with their father and missing school. So the grandparents, like a growing number of retired couples, had to rescue the children of their children.
Once again this year they are asking Globe Santa for help in making Christmas a happier time for their 10-year-old grandson and 9-year-old granddaughter.
They are thankful for help in the past and hopeful for the future.
Their daughter is in recovery, after spending time in an out-of-state recovery center, the grandmother said.
Advertisement
“I don’t see signs of addiction.” she said. “But if she doesn’t get the help she needs, she’ll easily fall back into it.”
Her grandchildren, she said, are thriving. But the family is still dealing with a tight budget that doesn’t allow for presents at Christmastime.
“When we sought custody of our young grandchildren, we did not contemplate the financial burden this would have on our limited budget,” the couple said in their letter to Globe Santa, a program of the Boston Globe Foundation.
“We have been able to stretch our Social Security and pension dollars to cover living expenses for all of us. However, there is not enough to really provide gifts at Christmas (or birthdays), which the children look forward to each year,”
“Without the generosity of Globe Santa, our grandchildren would be disappointed at Christmas time because we would not be able to provide the presents that have put smiles on their faces on 12/25 each year.”
Globe Santa will help again. The couple’s grandchildren will not be disappointed Christmas morning.
To help Globe Santa continue the holiday magic please consider giving by mail or telephone or online at globesanta.org.
Advertisement
Tom Coakley can be reached at thomas.coakley@globe.com.