Charity and Dignity - Christmas on the Alphabet Streets

Dignity and charity are not often associated. Often, we think of them as opposites. If dignity is to earn, charity is to receive. So, what would dignified charity look like? What would it look like to give someone dignity? 

This year, The LOT Project got to be a small part of Christmas on the Alphabet Streets. Through a partnership with Church of the Ascension, 34 kids (ages 6 months to 14 years) representing nine families were given presents completely free of charge.This is in and of itself worth celebrating. These are families that otherwise would not have been able to open gifts on Christmas morning. Families who have to choose between the light bill and Christmas presents. Kids from our city were celebrated and were able to celebrate Christmas with their families. Hundreds of gifts were given out thanks to the generosity of Christians in our community!

What we are most excited about is not the gifts themselves though. What we are excited about is the way in which these things were given. The gifts did not go to the kids, but to the parents so that they could give them to their kids. This may seem like a minor change, but the reality is worlds apart. Giving gifts is, of course, a great and generous thing to do. However, enabling families to have dignity is a far greater gift. What we were able to give is the ability for another to give. This dignity goes a much longer way than the gifts themselves. 

Thank you to the Church of the Ascension for allowing us to give dignity.