LOCAL

'An absolute angel': This woman brings Christmas cheer to families in need across region

Carley Bonk
Chambersburg Public Opinion

When Kathy Hewitt decided to help three local families six years ago, she had no idea just how many people needed a hand to make their holidays bright.

Hewitt, of Roxbury, started The Christmas Project in 2012 and now gathers toys, necessities and grocery gift cards for more than 100 families in Franklin and Cumberland Counties who are struggling to make ends meet throughout the holiday season. 

"The average family doesn't realize what the need is in our community," she said. "It's just growing. I thought I'd help a few families here and there, I had no idea it was going to be so big."

Last year alone, Hewitt and her do-gooders brought Christmas cheer to 150 families. This year, the count was already above 100 families.

With donations and sponsors, a family receiving assistance through The Christmas Project will get two gifts per child, a box of cleaning supplies and personal care products for the adults and a $25 gift card to fund a Christmas dinner.

"The kids go to school with their kids," she said. "They have no idea that these people are struggling as much as they are."

In addition to the coordination efforts and donation gathering, Hewitt and 22 volunteers also make sure all the gifts are wrapped for each family.

As the project has grown more than she ever could have expected over the years, Hewitt said she has to get started in the summertime to make sure she can help as many people as possible when the holiday season hits. She often has sacrificed Christmas Eve with her own family to wrap and deliver last-minute gifts for others.

Kathy Hewitt, of Roxbury, often sacrifices her own Christmas Eve to provide gifts for those less fortunate in her community.

More:You can follow this Santa Claus on Facebook as he spreads joy around southcentral Pa.

Her heart goes out to the kids in struggling families. 

"Kids are going to school and saying 'I got this and this and this and this for Christmas,'" she said. "Some of these kids have nothing - not a single gift."

Hewitt and her team try to provide quality gifts for everyone they help.

"This is Christmas - we need to make sure that they're getting nice things because the child doesn't understand why their friends got all this stuff and Santa didn't bring them anything. They don't understand that dad lost his job, or mom has been sick in the hospital."

With an ever-growing list of families, sponsors and businesses stepping up to contribute to Hewitt's cause are essential to the operation.

"We have regulars who have helped every year and several organizations put out donation boxes," she said.

One business, Heather Rose Dance Studio, had its students collect 100 toys toward the effort.

"I thought that was fantastic," Hewitt said.

Church groups, Shippensburg University groups and even the Shippensburg school district administrative office lent a hand this year.

The biggest hole she faces in collecting each year is gifts for teenagers.

"A lot of people want the families with the little kids, because they want to buy the cute toys or the little doll babies or the little teddy bears," she said. "The teenagers are always a big gap because families with elementary kids and teenagers can't get Toys for Tots or help from the Salvation Army. This is the only program around to help your teenagers." 

More:Help Salvation Army spread Christmas cheer to Franklin County's less fortunate

The "professional takers" can be an obstacle this time of year for Hewitt, and vetting can be a time-consuming process, but the thing that keeps her going is bringing just a small amount of happiness into homes that are sparse.

"There are times when I take gifts and there are 4, 5, 6 kids in the house and there's not a Christmas tree, there's not an ornament, there's not a stocking, there's nothing," she said. "To give these kids the experience and the joy of Christmas - when I drop things off, the kids' eyes light up. Parents are usually like, 'Wow, that's amazing, thank you so much.'"

Last year, Hewitt stopped by a cramped house filled with nothing but mattresses. Grandparents were caring for 17 children in that small space.

"There's no way he could have done Christmas for those 17 children," she said. "Those are the kinds of needs that we have the people aren't even aware of - when you have grandparents trying to raise three or four sets of grandchildren. It's hard for them."

A Chambersburg woman who fell on hard times last year said she wasn't sure if she'd be able to provide a Christmas for her five children.

"I actually was one of those families that she gave a Christmas miracle to," she said. "My family has never needed help before. I had nowhere to turn, I didn't know what to do and I was lost."

The woman, who wished to remain unidentified, stumbled across The Christmas Project on Facebook and reached out.

"She did not turn me away; she wanted to listen," she said. "She was more than grateful even as late in the holiday as it was to help me and my family. This woman gave my children the best Christmas they've ever had."

Hewitt's selflessness struck a chord with the woman.

"This woman is always looking for more people to help. She never asks for anything in return," she said. "Kathy is an absolute angel. I can tell you, she deserves a break because this woman goes from morning to late at night delivering gifts, making people happy."

Hewitt knows the program is working because this year, two families she previously provided Christmas for are now sponsoring other families.

"They said, 'When we were really, really down and out, you helped us with Christmas and we want to help somebody else because we're back on our feet,'" she said.

More:Check out this big list of Christmas events in the Franklin County region

Even the smallest contribution makes a big difference, Hewitt said.

"A lot of people want to help at Christmas time - their hearts are full, they're in the giving mood," she said. "With this program, people can help whatever level of helping they are capable of doing. If they just can donate a bottle of shampoo, they can do that. That's no lesser a gift than someone who sponsors a whole family. There are more ways to help than just presents under the tree."

In the future, Hewitt hopes to file The Christmas Project for non-profit status, as well as acquire more people to help battle the growing issue of poverty around the holidays.

"If everybody did a little bit, imagine the impact we could have in our community," she said. "People who have more can do more, people who have less can do a little. If everybody pitches in and does what they're able to do, we wouldn't have a problem in our community."

This time of year gives a glimpse of what could be possible, Hewitt said.

"At Christmas time, it gives us a little hint of what we could do if we work together as a community to help those around us in need."

A source’s name was removed from this story, upon her request, due to the existence of a court protection order.