MUSCATINE, Iowa–No one looks forward to the holidays quite as much as children do. For families facing housing insecurity though, finding a safe place for their children to stay can present a gargantuan challenge, making it hard for them to provide the gifts or special treats kids want so much. To ease the burdens of the families currently staying at the Muscatine Center for Social Action’s shelter, Bayer and Rock Valley Physical Therapy partnered to hold a holiday celebration for all the children Dec. 17.
Nik Horn, resource development officer for Muscatine Center for Social Action, said the party came about when Bayer and Rock Valley Physical Therapy both reached out to her looking for ways to support the organization during the holidays. Wanting to make the biggest positive impact possible, Horn encouraged the two to join forces to put on a memorable celebration. “We knew they worked together before,” explained Horn, “so we thought, ‘why not do one big thing instead of two small ones?” Both organizations welcomed the suggestion and got to work putting together the perfect party.
The afternoon of Dec. 17, Rock Valley kicked off the festivities with cookie decorating, giving kids the chance to frost and decorate their own cookies as well as ice cream cone Christmas trees. Following the cookie baking, Santa himself came and paid a visit and gave each of the six children currently staying at the shelter a chance to sit on his lap and talk about what they wanted. He then presented each of them with several gifts Rock Valley had purchased and wrapped for them, using wish lists provided by their mothers.
The volunteers from Rock Valley who helped with the celebration and its planning took pride in helping kids in need. “We wanted to reach out in our community to someone who would enjoy and benefit from it,” said Stacey Hampton, a physical therapist assistant who also runs Rock Valley’s social committee. “In the past, we have sponsored adults, but this year has been hard for kids, so we thought they would benefit from it.”
After the kids finished opening their gifts, Bayer provided delicious meals for them and for their families to take back to their rooms and enjoy. Catered by the Rendezvous, all of the guests got to enjoy fresh chicken breast, salad, bread sticks, and homemade pie. To spread the cheer of a good holiday meal even farther, Bayer brought enough food to provide meals for all of the shelter’s current residents, including those in their emergency shelter and men’s dorms. For many years, Bayer has provided a holiday meal for Muscatine Center for Social Action’s residents and has looked forward to the opportunity to resume the tradition, even if the format has changed somewhat, now that COVID-19 precautions permit it. “This is something that we’ve done for some years,” observed Bayer Site Manager Silvia Malaman. “It’s fantastic–especially in this season when everyone is so emotional–it’s more than just food.”
