Surprising Those Experiencing Houselessness with Some Christmas Spirit
Pictured: Christmas comes to The Dalles MCCAC Shelter.
By Cole Goodwin
The holidays can be challenging for those experiencing homelessness in The Dalles. But this year, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council, The Dalles Aging and People with Disabilities Office, and Lilo’s BBQ went the extra mile to bring some Christmas cheer to those experiencing housing instability in The Dalles.
Pictured: Christmas elves pose with a pile of presents from the Aging and People’s with Disabilities Office.
“Rob and his shelter staff are always thinking about what they can do to make life a little better and somewhat normal for folks,” said Kenny LaPoint, MCCAC Executive Director.
On Christmas Eve, Santa Rob Mendoza (The Dalles MCCAC Shelter Manager) and his Christmas elves (shelter staff and volunteers) surprised The Dalles Shelter guests, residents of the Hamilton Apartments, and local families experiencing houselessness with some Christmas cheer.
Santa Rob and his elves went door to door at apartments, hotels, and at the non-congregate shelter to deliver a Lilo’s Big Kahuna Special Christmas meal, warm clothes as gifts, personalized stockings full of goodies, a tree, and more.
Lilo’s BBQ helped Santa Rob to serve a Christmas Dinner to those experiencing houselessness in The Dalles this year.
Pictured: Rob Mendoza (middle) Jose Ruis (left)
Santa Rob and one of his helpers delivering gifts to The Dalles MCCAC Shelter guests.
The kind gesture was much appreciated by many of those experiencing houselessness.
“As you can imagine, for lots of folks experiencing houselessness or housing instability, prioritizing Christmas is not something that happens every year,” said LaPoint, “So somebody taking the time to pay attention to them and make it special for them was really important to them.”
“We had people in tears,” said LaPoint, “And we had a few folks that said these are the best Christmas gifts I’ve gotten in many, many years.”
One shelter guest, Virginia Medina, received a very special gift from the MCCAC shelter staff, a unique portrait of her recently deceased companion Bruno the dachshund.
“He was just getting old, you know, and he was her dog for a very long time,” said Kenny LaPoint, Executive Director of MCACC. “So the MCCAC team went in together and had a custom painting done of her dog.”
The custom painting of Bruno the dachshund.
Virgina Medina, age 71 riding the Link Bus with Bruno in September of 2021.
“She was very emotional about it when it was delivered to her,” said LaPoint, “And she went straight back to her unit and cleaned it all up and put that picture up on the wall of her unit.”
LaPoint said that it was important to remind people of those experiencing houselessness of our humanity. And that acts of kindness are an important part of that recognition.
“It’s really important to people experiencing houselessness that we don’t dehumanize them. And that we realize they have the same wants and needs that everybody has,” said LaPoint “Having someone believe in you and take the time to recognize that you are a person can be an important part of lifting people up out of their current situation. And we try to provide that as much as possible to our shelter guests.
Thank you to Kenny LaPoint and his team for reminding us that giving joy to those who need it most is truly the best Christmas gift one can receive.
Want to be a part of the giving? To support MCCAC efforts you can Donate to MCCAC here or mail donations to MCCAC’s The Dalles office location located at 312 E. 4th St. The Dalles, OR 97058.
