We believe that a community is strongest when all its members support each other. We make it our mission each year to better our community in every way possible. For the past few years we have partnered with Lafayette House to bring Christmas to their clients. Lafayette House is a sanctuary for individuals in unfortunate circumstances. As we have all gone through rough times in life, we understand how important it is to have people around you who care about you and the things you are going through, which is why we choose to support Lafayette House every year. We know that they have an immense impact on the futures of those they care for. After hearing some of the compelling stories shared by people who have gone through the Lafayette program, we knew we wanted to be a part of making a difference in the lives of those at Lafayette House. Thus, the JVM Christmas Project was born.
Christmas is an important time for families across the US. For those whose family unit are unable to come together due to circumstance, we want to be there for them. So, we choose to take on the role as their personal Santa. Every year we take on a list of children whose names and ages are listed. We diligently prepare and shop for Christmas presents for our unknown friends. As confidentiality is an important factor to the healing process at Lafayette House, we have never received word back from the families as to how they enjoyed their Christmas. We were thankful to receive word from the Director at Lafayette House. She told us that the families were overwhelmed with the thoughtful gifts they had received. We hope to have brightened what may have been a dark time in their life and we are grateful that our message of hope reached them.
For all of us at JVM, we have learned so much from our time of giving to others. Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, and we have received much in the lesson of humanity. There truly is no greater gift than gift of giving. Our team has had a great take away from this experience. It has brought us all closer and helped to solidify our identity as a community. We encourage others to seek to do what they can for their community and give even if they will never meet those who benefit from such kindness. If you are interested in donating to Lafayette House, you can call (417) 782-1772 or drop off items at Second Chances Resale Shop located at 802 E 15th Street in Joplin, MO.
