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Experiencing the Meaning of the Season

The Cornerstones of Care Gift Gallery — a long-standing tradition on our Gillis Campus — allows parents we serve to shop for gifts for their entire family at no cost. If you ever want to experience the meaning of the season, just volunteer at the Gift Gallery for an afternoon and talk to these parents. Their stories will inspire you while their gratitude makes you wish you could do more …

Kiara arrived at the Gift Gallery with her two youngest children in tow. The mother of five admitted to being a “little tired” but never complained, immediately turning everything into a positive and telling us, “It’s a blessing to be able to come pick out gifts that I know my children will enjoy. A true blessing. I love Cornerstones of Care.”

A staff person offered to watch her eldest, who has a disability, while Kiara shopped with her youngest. Her excitement was palpable. She kept asking, “I get three? I really get to choose three gifts for each of my children?” And then she saw it — the holiday miracle — a bicycle in the corner. Running her fingers across the handle bars as if it were a precious gem, she turned around and said with tears in her eyes, “It’s going to be a really good Christmas, especially when my son sees this bike!”


This year, we continued the Gift Gallery’s long legacy by providing 1,304 gifts, plus items to meet basic needs (coats, hats, clothing, diapers, etc.) to 564 individuals from 178 families. But this wouldn’t be possible without the countless donors and volunteers alike who respond to our needs throughout the year. We kicked off 2017 with #BetterTogether and that still rings true — we are better together with you.