“What do you think the family will do when they see the presents we bought?”

Over the last couple days, that’s been a really common phrase mentioned in our household. I applied to be a representative for the EdenGivesBack program a couple weeks back. This program basically allowed me to sponsor a family in the area for the Holidays through an Adopt-A-Family program. I’m happy to say that I was accepted as the representative, and I was sent to be the last and final family to be sponsored.

I was worried about being the last family to be sponsored. After all, that time frame only gave me a week to receive the money, buy the presents, get them wrapped, and get them out to the family. Of course, everything has worked out in the end, but I was worried for that week. During that week while the post was posted on the forums, I bumped it every couple hours and posted it on Twitter quite a few times.

I’m beyond happy to find out that the EdenFantasys community raised $445 for the family. That’s amazing! I wasn’t expecting that much. I was just expecting around $300. Almost five hundred dollars for complete strangers who happen to be in need; that’s just amazing, and it has renewed my faith in the generousity of people.

Right after Victoria announced the total on the thread, the boyfriend and I took off to the store. I didn’t have the money yet, but I used my credit card just to repay myself later. It’s surprisingly difficult to shop for a family we have never met and just know bare details about. We knew the mother wore size 14 jeans, but do you usually buy jeans without ever seeing or trying them on? Yeah, me neither, so it seemed like a bad idea to purchase jeans. Instead, we got her a winter coat, new bedroom comforter and bedding, a relaxing spa kit, a small fleece throw, and a giftcard to add more gifts or to buy groceries for her family.

Shopping for the little 3-year-old girl was much easier. She wanted Dora items, Fur Real Friends, and doll toys. Turns out that dolls must be popular this year because there were quite a few different dolls and accessories hanging around. While looking at the toy aisle, I had to avoid feeding my My Little Pony addiction (though I’ll admit it used my own cash to purchase a little pony.) We bought her a doll stroller, a new doll, two sets of different doll foods, a Fur Real Friends puppy, and a little stuffed animal. (On an odd note, do you know that Barbie now makes a “Puppy Training” set? You press the back of the little puppy, and he either goes #1 or #2. I find this wrong on so many levels.) The stuffed animal is easily my favorite. The boyfriend and I collect that series of stuffed animals, so it felt like we were bringing a personal part of ourselves into this which was amazing.

Buying gifts for a 7-year-old boy is also surprisingly difficult. He wanted some video games as well as a remote-controlled helicopter. (Sounds like any young boy I know.) The boyfriend ended up picking out most of the purchases for the young boy since I was never real “hip” on Legos. We bought the boy two PSP videogames, two sets of Bionicle toys, a little Lego set, a K’Nex set, a remote-controller helicopter, and a little toy that hovers above the ground.

Putting all of the items in the car was an amazing feeling. There were so many bags. There were a lot more than any two college students were used to. It was great to know that all of these items were going to a local family right in our community. Of course, over the next five hours of wrapping the items, that’s what I had to keep telling myself. Turns out that five hours of wrapping gifts (complete with ribbons and stickers) is an experience I’ve never done before nor never want to repeat.

Overall, this was a ten hour endeavor. Purchasing the toys took about five hours while wrapping them took another five hours. It basically took all day, but I’m proud to say I got it all done within one day, so the women’s shelter I went through will have an easier time getting this set given to the family before all of the people start to submit their own sets. Plus, the children will get the opportunity to feel eager about the different presents under the tree.

The guys from the women’s shelter (which doesn’t have a public address, so they pick it up from us) will be here to pick it up tomorrow. All of that accomplished in one day! Wow! I really wish I’d be able to know exactly what the family thought of their presents and see their reaction, but due to the nature of the reason they’re involved in the program, it’s all anonymous.

I’m so downright amazingly grateful for EdenFantasys to allow me to do this. Because of all of this, I’m going to be able to know that a family who had the courage to walk out of an abusive household is not going to feel any sort of regret this Holiday season. The children are going to have great presents, and the mother is going to have some treats for herself as well as some extra money for the groceries. It takes quite a bit of courage to walk out on everything you know to start it all fresh, and I’m so amazingly grateful that EdenFantasys has allowed me the chance to brighten their Holidays, and make their sacrifice never, for one moment, seem like a regret. I really hope EF chooses to do this next year because I’ll definitely be the first in line to sign up and donate again. This was so perfect, and it really added more to my Holiday than any gifts I’ll be receiving will. Thank you so much EdenFantasys and everyone who donated.