Page 28 - KCRPCA NovDec 2021
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PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS
A TIME TO GIVE BACK
PREPARING TEDDY BEARS FOR HEALING PATHWAYS CHARITY
 WEBSITE
CHAIR
DEBORAH THORNE
What I didn’t count on was the feelings that began to squeeze my heart when I saw the number of kiddos who participated in the event and learned of the circumstances that brought them there. You see, each child who walked through the doors came to Healing Pathways because of an unthinkable tragedy. These kiddos witnessed the murder or suicide of one or both of their parents or family member. As I began to hear of several of their stories, my Grinch-like heart began to swell and I found myself wanting to do more. That meant more than just spending a few minutes with them coloring and sending them
12
YEARS
It was an unusually mild December Saturday morning back in 2017, when I entered
the Kansas City Missouri Police Department Community Center. With a million things to do to get everything ready for my family Christmas, my mind wandered to the list I had been making as I checked it twice. I felt a little like the Grinch as my heart wasn’t really in it.
With so much to do, I would
have loved to have been out on
that beautiful day running errands. But I had volunteered to hand out Christmas goody bags and help with a coloring craft for a group of kiddos attending the Healing Pathway’s Christmas party. My sweet friend, Marci Jones, asked me to join her
at this event, so I couldn’t say no. Marci had such a sweet spirit and I loved spending time with her. So, spending time with Marci AND volunteering for a charity was a win
win. I figured it might help balance out that naughty and nice list too.
 28
Der Sportwagen
off with a Porsche Hot Wheels, coloring book, crayons and candy. I wanted to scoop each one of them up in my arms to make everything ok. Each of their lives had been
 















































































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