Holiday Give Back 2022 November 25, 2022
As you all know, giving back has always been a very important part of everything I do; and this is especially true around the holidays. I put together a Google form so everyone could send in their Amazon wishlists and originally I was going to share the links via IG stories. But, I don’t want anyone to get buried amongst the dozens of submissions as everyone is deserving of some extra love this holiday season. I decided to share them via this blog post instead. Since there are nearly 70 submissions, I made this cluster of expandable menus where you can explore everyone’s stories and access their wishlists without anyone getting pushed to the bottom. Some menus have unique titles as I had several forms submitted on behalf of existing donation drives. Thank you all for being so generous this holiday season.
If you do choose to donate, please make sure to double check the shipping address before you order!
Amazon will automatically default to your personal shipping address but your recipient’s anonymous gift registry address will be an option in Amazon’s shipping address drop down menu. Again, thank you for your generosity!
Unfulfilled Wishlists
Click on the drop down to expand each list. As wishlists get cleared, I’ll move them to a new section so that unfulfilled lists get priority.
Read Their StoryMy husband and I have 3 boys ages 9, 8, and 5. My husband is an elementary school teacher and coach after school. I am work for a non-profit charity that serves foster children in our city. My husband and I work in very rewarding careers but the pay is not the draw. As for most families, this year is hard. There is no ‘extra’ to put towards gifts. This Christmas, we’d love to be able to give our kids a magical Christmas morning.
Hi! I’m Maegan. I am a single mom of two precious little ones 3 and 4 ( girl and boy). I am a full time student and work part time at a local preschool. Being a single mom is the hardest thing I’ve ever done and this year has been extremely challenging for my little family. We live on a very modest income and have had a hard year with unexpected financial and health issues in our family. While we are more blessed than many, my mama heart would really love to give my children and Christmas they won’t forgot. Thank you for considering us!
Firstly, I think it’s amazing you do this, it’s such a beautiful thing to do! We live in the uk so not sure we’re eligible. We’ve had a rough year. My youngest, Peter who is 5, has epilepsy and has been in and out of hospital A LOT this year. We booked a trip of a lifetime to Disney in Florida which we went on in the summer, we had been saving every penny we had for years. At every appointment or hospital visit before we went, Peter would proudly say “I’m going to see Mickey IN AMERICA ON A PLANE” normally when he was scared or in pain. ❤️ He had a particularly nasty seizure in the spring and banged his head badly. He had to be put to sleep in the OR to have it repaired. He struggles to be in school full time and often misses out on so much. But he is so brave and we are so proud of him. My eldest, George, is 8. He is autistic and is such a beautiful boy! But he finds life so tough sometimes and his mental health has not been great during and after covid. He struggles to be looked after by anybody else so downtime is hard to come by for me and my husband Tom. My husband has recently lost his job (just in time for Christmas) after struggling through covid. He works in an outsourcing accounting company that looks after pubs, bars and restaurants and so many clients have gone out of business due to covid. We keep trying to stay positive. To finish things off our boiler (that heats our house) has broken, our roof is leaking and our car engine has just packed in. It feels like we are just taking one body blow after another, it is sometimes so hard to carry on. I have been a big fan of yours for such a long time. The 5/10 minutes on insta is sometimes the pick me up I need to carry on through the day! We are desperate to give our kids the Christmas they deserve. And the wish list would really help to achieve that. Thank you for being so beautiful. Xxx
Shopping From The US? See Wishlist
Shopping From The UK? See Wishlist
Hello! My husband and I are excited to be welcoming our first child, a baby boy, in March! It has been a long journey to get here, where we went through 3 IUIs and 2 IVf transfers to get our miracle baby 💫 needless to say, it has been financially burdening, but so worth it. We would love some help in receiving a few baby items as Christmas gifts this year 🎄 Thank you so much Lauren and all of your wonderful followers for giving back to others. I can’t wait to help out in small ways this holiday season as well 💙
My husband and I have a large family, 5 kids ages 20 down to 4. We both work very hard. I’m a preschool teacher at a small Christian school and he works DOD . Like so many we are still struggling to catch up from COVID. I lost my job I had at the time and he lost many hours, adding unforeseen medical bills Which led to maxed out credit cards and playing the constant catch up game. This year we have two kids graduating high school and getting ready for college. With all these expenses Christmas seems so hard to make happen. We love this time of year and being together as a family and we know that is what is most important! But making it special for them would make me so happy ❤️
Hi! I am a mom of 2 boys. I am a second grade teacher. I have never asked for help before but this year has been tough. We have dealt with 2 unexpected job losses from my husband and several medical bills that we cannot get caught up on. This is one of those years that I hope to look back on and grow from but in the moment it has been extremely difficult. Any help would be appreciated!
I am a single mom, things have been so hard this year with the riding costs of everything, plus trying to keep up with the bills. My son is a junior in high school,. I have been working so much and trying to keep up with everything has been so hard. I have. Only 2 items on my list .
I am a stay at home mom of 3 boys. My oldest is 6, middle one is 3 and the littlest one is 8 months. My husband work 60+ hours a week but we still can’t seem to stay afloat on the bills this year, unfortunately our mortgage is even late. We don’t qualify for any assistance at all(gross income guidelines are cruel). Honestly I am terrified for Christmas.
My elderly mom lost her husband (my dad) in October to prostate cancer, at the same time hurricane Ian made a direct hit to their home in Florida. My mom is unable to care for herself and I just had to move her into assisted living. We are a military family, so I live far away from her (assisted living is too expensive where we live and we are already paying out of pocket for it as my Mom is on a very small fixed income and I have no siblings to help). This wish list just covers small immediate needs/wants of hers.
I’m a single mom to a 8 year special needs girl and life has kicked us down the last 2 years 😭 I’m in school and I just want my daughter to have a magical Christmas because she’s never had one before and as much as I try, I can’t provide that this year
On June 2, 2022 my 48 year old husband was out for a run around our neighborhood when he suffered a massive heart attack. We have 3 children – a 7 year old daughter and twin 4 year old boys. My husband is a junior high health & phys ed teacher – this isn’t supposed to happen to someone like him Fortunately I was able to get him to the ER where he received 4 stents. If it weren’t for my husband’s determination to return to his family he wouldn’t have made it home from his run that day. He did cardiac rehab over the summer and is back to teaching, jogging, and coaching our daughter’s soccer team. It sounds cliche but I’ve learned not to take a moment for granted. I try to soak up the little moments with my family, and that’s what my wish list is all about – puzzles and games for us to enjoy together as a family.
I’m a mom of three; 7, 5,& 2 and a pediatric nurse I left the night shift after 15 years when my grandmother passed away in March to work the day shift to help improve my mental health and the stressors of working in the hospital and constant heartache of working with oncology kids. My focus became my family and being there for them on the weekends to watch their games and not be a zombie after getting off my shifts. Getting that extra help to give to them and make this Christmas a special one and not worry about working extra is extremely helpful!
We started the adoption process almost two years ago… and long story short, we were heartbroken over the stories of families who didn’t feel they could keep their baby because they couldn’t afford to or didn’t have the support. We’re still waiting to adopt, but we started a free community closet in our basement for anyone to get baby clothes, items, formula, diapers, maternity, ect- we want to do whatever we can to support local families however we can so that no one feels alone and unsupported. We get donations weekly from all over; however, we’ve had so many families in need and reaching out that we have been turning them away because we don’t have enough.
In 2021, my husband and I had virtual twins (adopted a boy and 5 months later had a girl) it took us a long time to get pregnant and was such a blessing. We are both teachers, but I have taken the time to be at home with our littles so money is tight. My husband really wants to gift each student in his class a book for Christmas, but we just don’t have the money to do that at this time. We also found out that we were able to get pregnant naturally so we will be adding another little boy in April, so we’ll have 3 under 2. Our kids need some winter clothes and we haven’t had any luck at thrift stores. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am a stay at home mom of two sweet girls, a one year old and a two and half year old. They are the best girls. We made the tough decision to have mom stay home with the them because we could not afford daycare even if I worked so we are living off of one income. With inflation and thousands of dollars of unexpected medical bills that occurred this year that we need to pay for monthly has made getting by with just the necessities extremely difficult. We always were the ones that tried to help others in any season but god is telling me it’s okay to lean on others for help at this time.
We are a family of 4 boys, homeschool and love just spending time together. Like many, 2020 hit hard with loss of business. My husband owns his own business and we had been stuggling before the world shut down. Since then its been fighting the feeling of being defeated and that we are stuck where we live. However, the best part of 2020 was bringing home our 4th sweet boy. We are raising them up to be arrows into this world being honorable men! We know we are so blessed to have our family, but any help this season would be wonderful! My husband doesn’t ask for much, so having this help would lift a weight off him in providing for our fam. Means the world!
We had our first son last December so birthday AND Christmas has been super hard on our finances. My husband and I both work so hard and he has gone through a series of back surgeries this year so he has been recovering and off work lately.. We are a simple family that have few wants but many needs like everyone else. I want to feel cozy and comfortable, in more than one way, this holiday season and your kindness and generosity would mean the absolute world to myself, my husband and our son.
During the peak of Covid, my husband got laid off from his job due to them not being able to afford his position anymore. This was hard, but it inspired us to start the journey of starting our own business full time. It has been very rewarding but we are still in the beginning stages where money is extremely tight. Having help provide presents for our kids this Christmas would be an absolute miracle and blessing!
I am a mother of one of a four year old boy. I am currently a low income teacher in Fall River, MA. Due to the inflation of prices (rent, utilities, gas, tuition), we are struggling to make ends meet. Our school no longer offers tutoring positions (where we received our portion of income) due to a bussing contract with our district. This holiday season, we don’t need any extra things, we would appreciate help and assistance with our basis necessities (food, gas, utilities, gift cards for buying clothes for my son). Thank you for thinking of us. We know this season is hard for everyone but I never thought we would be here asking for help. I just want to provide food and necessities for my son without having to worry our utilities will get cut off.
My sister and her partner have 3 beautiful daughters: Audrey (5), Charlotte (15 months) and Ellie (2 weeks). They are an amazing, giving family, but are struggling to make ends meet, in particular as my sister is on a short maternity leave. Her partner is working 3 jobs to simply pay rent and buy food. Anything possible to support them is so appreciated. Thank you for reading and considering!!!
Hello, I’m recently a single mom to twin girls and a 2 year old boy. I’m still on maternity leave from having my twins and this all came crashing down at a horrible time for me. I just want to be able to give my kids a good Christmas while I’m still picking up the pieces. Anything helps 🥰
I am a mom of 3 and Grammy to one amazing 18 month old baby girl! I want so much to provide my family some great gifts this holiday season. Our world was turned upside down this past May when we learned that my husband/kids’ father was struggling with drug addiction. This News came after an already difficult 17 month journey through his admission of gambling away our life’s savings. I am a middle school teacher trying to makes ends meet.
Like many of us, 2022 has been a difficult year for my family. At the end of 2021, my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and spent much of 2022 going through treatment. During this time my step children moved in with us full time due to ongoing abuse at their other home. The second half of the year has been a healing time for everyone, but we are drowning in medical debt. We have four kiddos, 2 boys and 2 girls and would love to make this Christmas extra special for them!
Christmas presents haven’t been a thing for a long time for this family so the excitement and thankfulness this family will experience this Christmas will be unexplainable! To receive items as simple as laundry soap will be a true BLESSING to this family.
Hello! My husband and I are a blended family with 6 kids combined. 2 of mine are adults our youngest lives with us full time. And we have his girls 50/50. We were asked earlier this year to help his niece and nephew that needed a place to go. Their mom is incarcerated and their dad didn’t want them anymore. So we have adopted them and brought them in our home. We are now a family of 7 living at home (sine out oldest 3 are in college or in the workforce). We are both teachers and coaches, so we don’t make a ton of money but enough to get by and are struggling with what we will do for Christmas with them. We live paycheck to paycheck. Any help would be so appreciated!! The 1st pic is of the 2 we adopted. 2nd pic is of our bio kids and a another we took in he’s graduated and out in the workforce. He’s the two we adopted older half brother. We had him for 4 years prior to getting his younger siblings.
Hi! My name is Ashley. It’s hard for me to even go this route, but such is life. I am a single mom to two beautiful little boys that deserve the world. I try my hardest to create special memories for them, and Christmas was my favorite growing up. Much of my family has passed away due to cancer and what I have left live several states away, so holidays can be lonely. Hoping to give back and spread Christmas cheer one day 🙂
A cerebral AVM was found in my husband’s brain in 2017. One month after we bought our first home in 2018 he had a catastrophic bleed and spent 2 months in ICU, and three months in neuro rehab to have a 1% chance of surviving surgery to remove the AVM. After 4 embolizations and 2 brain surgeries he spent another 4 months in rehab. We’re 5 years into recovery and he’s still making progress but our support system is getting burnt out. As his full time caregiver I am reaching out for help with the things that will make my life easier so I can focus on his recovery and making the best life for our 6 year old that I can.
My family and I moved to Abilene Texas a few short months ago for my husbands job. Well the last month or so his truck has broken down numerous of times. So our money is very tight right now. My pay as a bus driver doesn’t do much. I am worried that with our money being little to none we will not be able to get our kids (11 and 9) anything for Christmas. It is breaking my heart.
My husband was laid off during Covid. He started a business with a partner to make ends meet and the partner earlier this year made everything go under without us knowing. This all happened right around the time I had my second baby and was off for 3 months. I work at a small dental office as a hygienist but don’t have paid maternity leave so we’ve been struggling (haven’t had steady income since Covid) but this year has been especially bad. Around the same time, my husband’s sister passed from cancer and our marriage/entire family has just been having a tough time. We’re trying to get back on our feet but we for sure don’t have anything for Christmas. I want to be able to give at least our 3 year old the baby doll supplies she wants, she’s a little mommy and plays with her babies all day (I think since I take care of her baby brother, her way of playing with me). 💕
The Stebbins family was hit hard this year when Jess went for a routine follow up to find out she has a rare liver cancer Cholangiocarcinoma. After meeting with 4 hospitals surgery is not an option. She’s is a mom of 3 kiddos and a wife. She is also a teacher and was not able to return to work while receiving treatment. This Christmas will be different this year but very THANKFUL.
We are a family of 4 soon to be 5 come this January! We really want the best Christmas for our boys but we are on a very tight budget. With everything going on with finances and preparing for a new baby we are really limited to what we can buy for our kids.
Hi, my name is Maria ( I answer to Mary). I’m a single mom to 4 teens. 3 girls and 1 son. This year has been alone probably the hardest financially, emotionally, mentally I have had since becoming a single parent. (DV survivor) I work full time (little pay)but I chose work less hours so that I could be more present in my kids lives. They are active in just about everything in school. From UIL, Sports, Band , youth sports. Which has made life harder. But, I also do not want to take away the things they love doing just because it’s hard to afford it. They are blessed with the ability to strive and succeed in their activities. I went into debt to keep us from drowning but now it’s even harder to keep us afloat. There is no child support. I don’t like to nominate myself in things like this. I know there are far more worthy people than me. Christmas is always hard but this year it may be impossible to achieve. I would be forever grateful if we are chosen to be shared. Xoxo
My husband tore his quad tendon in 2021 and was out of work for several months. While he’s been back to work, are still trying to catch up. Also like many we are struggling with the rising costs. We are in a spot where we don’t quite qualify for assistance, yet are barely getting by. It’s stressful having to worry about Christmas. While we know that it isn’t all about gifts, we do have two boys 10 and 8 and seeing the magic in their eyes is always fun.
We’re blessed to be adding another baby girl to our family this Christmastime. We just found out this week that she will likely be needing open heart surgery to correct a coarctation of her aorta. Our other daughter will be turning 2 on December 30th, and I’m worried about my ability to give her the Christmas and Birthday she deserves while mentally and physically preparing for delivery and surgery. We’re struggling to save up enough for the surgery while also get ready for a new baby and two big celebrations, all in the month of December!
I am a preschool teacher serving 2 year olds- most of whom have language and developmental delays. I’d love to be able to make my classroom a safe place for them to learn and grow! Due to the school being closed during COVID and finally opening back up, my classroom doesn’t have the items that it should, and the school just doesn’t have the budget to allow me to purchase these items
We are a family of five, two boys (13, 11), one girl (7) with mom and dad and two cats. Dad works full time and mom is self employed working overnights supporting moms and families with newborn babies. When we are all home together, we like to watch movies as a family like Star Wars and Harry Potter. On weekends we like to gather in the kitchen to make pancakes together and play cards or a board game.
We simply love spending time together whether it’s a meal, a movie, geocaching or a walk outside our time as a family is the most precious thing to us. We have endured a lot in the last few years and would love the support to get a few things to make our time spent together fun.
Fulfilled Wishlists
Stories below come from those who’ve received all the items from their wishlist. Thank you for your support and generosity!
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