Santa Stop Gratitude & Hope
When the holiday season rolls around, many Lower and Outer Cape residents can feel stress and anxiety in not knowing how they will be able to provide a magical experience for their children or grandchildren. At Lower Cape Outreach Council (LCOC), there is a solution for this angst. With tremendous support from the community, LCOC runs the Santa Stop Toy Distribution each year for nearly 300 families, bringing joy to hundreds of children.
The program, designed to provide families in need with a retail-style experience, is staged in Orleans and Truro where guardians can browse the available gifts and select appropriate toys for their children. Staffed by long-time LCOC volunteers, Santa Stop is a unique and dignified holiday experience.
Tonya has been shopping at Santa Stop for the last two years. Her children are four, six, and nine. She finds that she can pick out items that each of them loves.
“For me to be able to put these gifts under the tree is such a blessing,” says Tonya. “We have one full-time income and one seasonal income in the house, so giving the kids a nice holiday isn’t always the easiest for us.”
Without LCOC’s help, Tonya says, she would be left with the choice of providing very little for her children or running up a huge credit card debt. “Thanks to LCOC and its caring supporters, I don’t have to make that terrible decision, and my kids are happy and excited for the holidays.”
With tremendous support from the community, LCOC runs the Santa Stop Toy Distribution each year for nearly 300 families, bringing joy to hundreds of children.