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Nov 20, 2008 10:02 pm US/Central
Organization Makes Holidays Bright For Single Moms
PLANO (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
This time of year, many charitable organizations ramp up their efforts to make sure disadvantaged children receive gifts during the holidays. But what about making the holidays bright for the mothers of those children? On that note, a single mom from Plano is reaching out to those women this year.
Jakob Smith knows what makes his mom special. "And she always be loving with me," the five-year-old explained.
The hugs from her child are priceless but everyday's a struggle for Shatia Smith. Shatia is a single mom living on a minimum wage. "It's just all about the kids, really," she said.
Stephanie Ward says before her kids came into her life she thought she had it all - an art gallery and an active social life. But in 2002 she became the adopted mother of Crissah and Casey, when the children's biological mother lost custody.
Needless to say in what seemed like an instant Stephanie's life changed. She gave up the gallery and her old friends stopped calling.
The single mother of two remembers how she felt on those Christmas mornings, when the children opened their presents, but there was nothing there for her. "Just empty and I felt selfish, thinking that."
Stephanie says she was depressed and lonely. "I don't think I started to come out of it until a few months ago when I decided, okay, it's been a long time," she said of her revelation. "And the only way I'm going to make things better for myself is to help other people."
Fortunately for some women across North Texas, those other people are her fellow single moms.
Stephanie says, "Regardless of how a person got to be a single mom, I think it's important to try to support them."
Now this mom is on a mission, channeling support into a Christmas crusade called "Gifts for Mom". Stephanie explained her rationale behind the concept saying that, often single mother's care for everybody else and take care of themselves last or not at all.
And Stephanie says the gifts for these moms will be things they wouldn't ever do for themselves. "So not like skillets or things for the house, or things that they can even share with the kids, but things that are just personal for them."
In the beginning Stephanie had hopes to help 24 single moms, but her e-mail campaign has touched the hearts of so many people that this year "Gifts for Mom" could reach 100 ladies.
Ultimately Stephanie says her purpose is simple. "I want them to feel like somebody's thinking of them and somebody cares."You can contact Stephanie by calling 214-774-2194 or emailing her at stephaniestips@aol.com.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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