On Giving Tuesday, one Chicago organization is asking for extra help to provide Christmas gifts for families on the city’s West Side.
Arielle Maldonado started The Healing Corner in 2015.
Last week the group served a long line of people for Thanksgiving, but never has Maldonado seen the need this great, she said.
“You could just tell people were in survival mode and were fighting over the last items we had and were worried there wouldn’t be enough,” Maldonado said.
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She’s now thinking ahead to Christmas and deeply concerned by the lack of donations so far.
“I’m very worried this year because last year was a real struggle,” she said. “With inflation, I know this year will be even more of a struggle.”
Many of the families The Healing Corner serves are victims of gun violence and living on fixed incomes.
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Lisa Bryant is one woman who used to be on the receiving end, but now volunteers to help others.
“I used to be homeless,” Bryant said. “Cost of the products going up, food and toys. With me, I’m on a fixed income.”
It’s a feeling so many are coping with this holiday season. Despite tighter budgets and thinning donations, Maldonado is still hopeful the group will be able to provide.
“One of the little girls asked me the other day, ‘When are you coming to my house with Santa?’ So I feel like I really need to follow through this year, because they are really counting on it," she said.
You can learn more about The Healing Corner by visiting the Facebook page, here.
