(posted by Carol Ann Thomas, Alacra Marketing Manager)
In December, Alacra once again took part in the US Postal Service's Operation Santa Claus, a program that's been running for almost 100 years, bringing gifts and plenty of hope to needy families all over the country. As promised, Alacra increased our participation to three classrooms and our staff gleefully became the secret Santas to 60 kingdergartners in and around New York City.
And yet again, I'm proud to report that the Alacra staff outdid themselves participating, rushing to my desk and selecting not just one, but in many cases, two or three wish lists to fulfill. It took us several days just to wrap everything. I was thrilled to be there to see the look on the teachers' faces when they saw the loads of presents we came bearing just before Christmas, they were clearly overwhelmed with gratitude.
At the very least, reading those letters to Santa can be a sobering experience, as I found out myself early in December when I ventured to the NYC Post Office. While there are the occasional requests for iPods and PSP's, there are far more 5 year olds asking for "a bag of potato chips" and 11 year old boys just wanting a foot massage for their mom who they love so much but who "is so tired because she works 2 jobs and her feet hurt A LOT". I was quickly moved to tears reading those letters, as were the dozen men and women with me doing the same.
True self-actualization is the pinnacle of Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs, but for most of us it is not a height we always reach in our everyday lives. Thankfully though, simple acts of generosity and kindness, respect and love for our communities and the children in them can make the climb a whole lot easier.
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