This
Christmas season, instead of giving each other gifts, the Seattle Continental team
came together to help a family in need of some extra Holiday Cheer!
The inspiration came from two women
in our Seattle office. Billing & Rating lead, Jennifer Kent, founded the
idea from her own personal experience, “I have a disabled cousin whose family
was sponsored for a few years when his children were young. It always made them
so happy!” After confirming the idea with a few other employees we learned that
our own Seattle Dispatcher, Lorelei Newman, had also had a previous experience;
sponsoring a single mother with two daughters. Newman’s previous sponsorship
participation had left such a wonderful impression on her; “instead of giving
each other more ‘things’, why not share our blessed and abundant lives with
those who may not have what we all do.”
Needless to say the idea became an
absolute hit with the entire Continental family!
Through our Accounting Supervisor,
Cindy Mortimer, we learned of the family at St. Stephen’s Housing Association;
a non-profit that addresses the needs of homeless families by providing housing
with support services to enable families to move toward economic stability and
self-sufficiency. With the help of St. Stephen’s, Continental was able to
Sponsor the Feo Family. With 2 or 3 CVL employees allotted for each member of
the family, we were determined to make this Holiday season one that they would
never forget!
We were given a wish list of items
the family would be thrilled to receive. They were simple things; socks, shoes,
clothing, a book or toy for the kids; but we knew our team could give more. “It
was great to see how enthusiastic everyone at Continental was as we paired up
to go shopping for the kids and filled a basket with games, movies and treats
for them to share during a family night!” (Newman)
As the days passed, the tree skirt
around the office Christmas tree began to overflow with beautifully wrapped
gifts. We as a Continental family began to realize our great capacity for compassion
and giving; it was truly incredible to see.
Finally, on Friday, December 20th,
four members of our team and two of their children went to deliver our gifts to
the Feo Family. The experience could be described as nothing less than magical.
As Mortimer described; “We saw the little ones peaking out of the windows and
opening the door just a crack to see if we were coming. When I finally went to
the door, I saw one of them jumping up and down with excitement! Another came
running out of the door, literally hugging me at the knees. When the mom
invited us in to place the gifts under the tree, they all looked at us as if we
were truly Santa’s Elves. It was a magical experience and I wish everyone could
have witnessed this true Christmas Miracle.”
As our Rating & Billing
Specialist, Lynn Broxson shared, “the children were so adorable. They hugged
us, (around our legs) and were so incredibly grateful. Their eyes kept getting
bigger and bigger the more presents we brought in. Their mother said that what
we brought was way more than they
expected. They were so excited and gracious”. For our Office Assistant, Martha Mendoza,
“it was an emotional feeling that made me feel very warm inside. Seeing the
little kids jump up and down with smiles on their faces was a great experience!”
For Lorelei, our act of kindness
was one she really enjoyed sharing with her son Trace. “Helping him to better
understand how blessed he is and why it’s so important to be thankful for
everything we have and share it with those who aren’t as lucky. I think it all really
hit home for him when we got to see the bright smiling faces of the family as
we delivered the gifts. Knowing that they would have a joy filled Christmas morning
was the best gift of all!” Trace definitely benefited from the experience stating
that he really loved seeing the children and the expressions on their faces.
“They were surprised, excited, and so happy.” Those impressions will forever add to Trace’s
sense of holiday spirit.
Ultimately, we received even more
than we could have ever expected when Mrs. Feo herself sent us a personal thank
you; “I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. The kids are enjoying their
gifts! They loved it and most of all they couldn’t take away their blessed
smiles.” Although not everyone at Continental could be there to deliver the
presents, each and every one of us was so grateful to have had the opportunity
to contribute to such a wonderful cause. It was a bonding experience that we
will forever remember and appreciate.
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| The Feo Family |
