In Charlotte, homeless child’s list to Santa often includes a home

Santa will show up at the homes of 11,360 low-income children this year, thanks to the Salvation Army’s Christmas program. But his visit will be slightly different for 220 kids living in the agency’s homeless shelter near uptown.

They’ll wake up in dorms, go down the cafeteria for breakfast and find the tables have been lined with donated toys that may or may not have been on their Christmas list.

The youngest may be led to believe by their mother that Santa dropped the gifts off during the night, but most aren’t that naïve. “Belief in Santa is often taken from children in shelters pretty early,” said Deronda Metz, director of the Salvation Army Center of Hope.

On the positive side, they’ll get more toys than average low-income kids because the community tends to throw multiple parties for homeless kids in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

The luckiest among the children will be invited into a relative’s home for Christmas, Metz said. The rest will spend the day in the shelter, playing with their new toys and eating traditional Christmas meals dished out by people who volunteered to give up their holiday for the homeless.

One big difference this year is an experiment conceived by Metz to give children in the shelter one of the experiences they and their parents are least likely to be able to afford during the holidays: the spirit of giving.

The children are decorating a series of flannel scarves to be given as gifts to police officers, firefighters and school teachers.

“There’s a gratitude that comes from receiving gifts, but there’s a joy in giving them that can’t be easily explained: a joy in contributing,” Metz said. “So many of our children have grown up in poverty, and they don’t experience that joy. When you give from the heart, you don’t feel poor. You feel rich in spirit.”

The shelter chose police, firefighters and teachers for the gifts because they tend to be key figures in the lives of homeless children, Metz said: “Police are often the ones who bring the families here to the shelter, to get them out of a dangerous situation.”

Letters from the shelter

This year, the Observer asked Metz to share letters written to Santa by the youngest of the 220 children in her agency’s care. The resulting collection of scrawled notes shows just how complex life can be for homeless kids. Many wanted a home more than toys, while several asked for fathers who were missing from their lives.

Following are excerpts from some of the letters.

Dear Santa Claus:

• “I’d like a lap top and I wish my dad to come back alive. And an Xbox 360.” (Trent)
• “I’ve been behaving very well, ... and grown as a very intelligent young man. What I would like for Christmas is to live back home and have my life back. Also, some clothes, baseball gear and some peace of mind.” (Raquan)
• “Thank you for giving poor people food and visits. ... I want a puppy.” (Milana)
• “All I want is to have a house to live in with my mom, sister, my brother and me. And I want a dog. It really doesn’t matter what type of dog it is. Get that for my mom.” (Chisholm)
• “I would like $2,500 and a trip to Hollywood to see Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. I would also like a princess dress like Cinderella and princess slippers to go with it. Also some heels.” (Taeh)
• “I love your shoes. I would like a ... house and a car for my family.” (Kamani)
• “I have been good, pleasing my mom. I love reindeer. Please let me have one. I would like a big house with a pool ... an electric car. And a better dad. I would like all these things.” (L.N.)
• “Santa, I would like to have the biggest house in the world. Also, a touch screen phone. I have been very good. ... I would like to have the gift of love.” (Malachi)

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 5:48 PM with the headline "In Charlotte, homeless child’s list to Santa often includes a home."