Grandmother raising boy can’t afford gifts
Childhood is ideally a carefree period during which boys and girls are nurtured and guided by adult role models in a positive home environment.
Many children, however, aren’t able to take secure settings for granted.
The story of one such child, an 8-year-old boy, inspired his grandmother to write to Globe Santa this year and make known the hardships he has had to overcome. In her letter seeking help in providing gifts for the child, the grandmother said she has full custody of her grandson. His parents, who abused drugs and neglected the boy, were found unfit to raise him, she wrote.
“There were days that this child had no food,’’ she wrote, adding that “he was so hungry one day, he asked his mom could he please just eat the sugar.’’
After her daughter called to ask if feeding her son sugar would be harmful, the grandmother said she contacted the Department of Children and Families in an attempt to gain custody of the child. Still, she said, the boy never complained about his home situation.
In her letter, the grandmother added that she sought counseling for the boy after observing the emotional damage he had suffered. Since he began therapy, she wrote, his condition has improved.
“I would love to give him some of the things that some of his friends have, but I can’t afford it,’’ wrote the grandmother, who raises her grandson in a low-income housing unit and whose part-time paychecks aren’t big enough to give him the Christmas she would like him to enjoy.
Like many who write to Globe Santa, the boy’s grandmother said she is appreciative of assistance Globe Santa contributors provide. “I’m doing the best I can for him,’’ she said. However, at this point, her best isn’t enough to give her grandson a Christmas with toys under the tree.
The boy loves hockey, baseball, and videogames, and his grandmother wants him to have something to smile about on Christmas. “He has these eyes that glow when he is surprised,’’ she wrote.
Globe Santa and his helpers are processing more than 20,000 letters from people seeking help in providing gifts for children.
Last year, Globe Santa delivered gifts to 54,286 children in 30,268 households in 170 Eastern Massachusetts cities and towns. Because of the economic downturn, the program is expected to reach 180 cities and towns this year.
Therefore, Globe Santa is asking for contributions to the 2009 Fund drive. He quickly points out that one of the things that makes him happy is that many contributors are children who, as groups or individuals, raise money for the Santa Fund.
