The Community Outreach Committee of the Robson Ranch Women’s Club spent the weeks before Christmas finding ways to make the holidays happier for those who need some support. The committee was given the names of 81 children whose families have experienced domestic abuse situations and are being helped through the Denton County Friends of the Family. The Friends of the Family organization provided a Christmas wish list for each child to the committee. Then members of the committee and some residents of the broader Robson Ranch community went shopping to ensure that these children received the items they most wanted. The committee also went the extra mile to provide a gift for the mothers of these children to lighten their holidays as well. After the shopping was finished, the membership gathered at the home of Nanci Odom, the chair of the Community Outreach Committee, to do a “show and tell.” There was lots of “ooh-ing and ahh-ing” from the attendees as they saw that each child would have presents to open—by the way, the attendees had “happy” added to their holidays.
After the committee completed this project, it moved on to another one that is dear to the hearts of the members. This committee has worked diligently since April to assist Our Daily Bread Together with Monsignor King Outreach Center to provide Welcome Home Pallets to individuals who were transitioning from homelessness to apartment dwellers. This process is ongoing, but there are many individuals who have not completed the process yet. They are still in the midst of the efforts to get them into their own apartments. To lighten the spirits of those still waiting, 29 committee members baked over 1,000 cookies and packed 50 tins of cookies, delivered just before Christmas along with a coffee mug for each person. Everyone—both those in transition and those who baked and packed—experienced the “happy” in Happy Holidays.
These two holiday endeavors capped off a very busy and impactful year for the Community Outreach Committee.