Christmas at Cunningham

Christmas at Cunningham

A special time for our kids.

Christmas time at Cunningham is filled with special activities—holiday meals, caroling, a visit from Santa and, of course, gifts under the tree. During the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, our campus s a flurry of activity preparing for a festive Christmas for the youth and families we serve. The generosity of our community is overwhelming and heartwarming. 
 

Learn how you can help make Christmas special for Cunningham kids.

 

Christmas Giving

The Spiritual Life Center circle drive becomes a parade of vehicles delivering gifts and donations. Small cars, crossovers, SUV's, minivans and trucks pull up one by one packed full of gifts collected at churches, United Women in Faith meetings, businesses, clubs, and organizations. With each delivery, a little more Christmas hope and love fills the building.

 

Amazing Support

The Spiritual Life Center Christmas tree is a wonderful backdrop for the enormous outpouring of support. Numerous local businesses and organizations conduct toy drives and many other individuals and families provided monetary donations and gift cards. Many of our UMW and United Methodist Churches  provide Christmas presents and gift cards for our kids.

 

It takes a village

The Spiritual Life Center's Heritage Room becomes the staging room for gift wrappers. More than 100 volunteers- community groups, UMW units, organizations, individuals, and families-are busy wrapping presents and making sure each one has that personal touch so when the kids see them under the tree they feel the warmth of Christmas joy.

Kids' Shop

Our youth experience the joy of Christmas giving as well. Thanks to wonderful volunteers, the chapel becomes the Kids' Shop, packed with donated items of all kinds, becomes a shopping experience for our kids. They get to pick out small, inexpensive gifts for the special people in their lives. And there are volunteers anxiously waiting to wrap those presents for them.

Walk through Bethlehem

Amidst the hustle and bustle, the true meaning of Christmas is not lost on our youth. In early December, they are treated to a Cunningham Christmas-time tradition, Walk through Bethlehem. The Spiritual Life Center chapel is transformed into what Bethlehem may have looked like over 2,000 years ago. Youth dress up like villagers; participate in the census just like Mary and Joseph, and experience crafts, games and even a tasty snack of Camel Feed! Finally, our kids get to imagine what the first Christmas was really like with a live nativity scene and the story of when Jesus was born.

A visit from Santa

Youth in our Residential Program enjoyed a visit from Santa that included a conversation and photos with the big guy and a present, of course. Then the kids got to decorate sugar cookies any way they wanted to and boy did they make the most of that opportunity! Our CIRCLE schools both had celebrations of their own with gifts from Santa as well.

Christmas Program

Toward the end of the month, after Christmas parties, cookie decorating, and a visit from Santa, our kids come together in the chapel for their Christmas program. They dress like angels, kings, and wise men and once again celebrate the birth of Jesus.