ContactThe 2009 holiday season has brought cheer, happiness and great memories to us all! The Atlantic.Net Team took the time to set up a toy drive for the Russell Home for Atypical Children. It felt so good to participate with fellow staff members, friends and family. I usually wear many hats but yesterday I played Santa which is an amazing and heartfelt experience. It was fun too! We designated our Orlando data center as the toy drop off location and we collected tons of toys! This Santa arrived early to the Data Center on a mission to spread cheer and load up a truck full of toys collected throughout the month of December. Thanks to Roy for his help, we could not have done this without him!
Kristina & Roy loading up the toys!
As I drove down I-4, going 10 below the speed limit to ensure no dolls or teddy bears took flight, I began to reflect on why this gift drive was so important to me. Ever since I can remember, my family has encouraged me to give to those less fortunate than myself and we always were applauded when we would give unused toys or clothes to the Russell Home, so maybe that is why the Russell Home crossed my mind.
The Russell Home is a home for special needs children. The caretakers of the Russell Home care for up to 30 special needs children, anywhere from infants to adulthood, around the clock. The Russell Home isn’t an orphanage, it’s a Home, where they treat these children as though they were their own. With as many as 30 children at one time, all with special needs, I was determined to help make their holiday as special as possible.
A cart full of toys to share in the Holiday Cheer!
I pulled into their long driveway, and reached a house a lot smaller than I remember it being when I was a child. Two children sat on their front porch playing. We made eye contact as I put my truck into park and I smiled. I opened the door and the two children stood up and shouted, “HELLO!” I smiled at them, said, “Hi” back and waved. One of the children holding a toy guitar, stood up and shouted, “Do you need help?” I promptly looked at the younger child and said “Yes, Santa dropped off a bunch of toys for you all at my office. Do you have a cart I can borrow?”, and just like that they were off and came back with not only a cart but one of the caretakers!
As we loaded up the cart, she and I spoke about how much our donation meant to them. She noted how she could see each child in each toy, and how we had helped to make this holiday so special. It feels really good to know that Atlantic.Net could impact the lives of the children even if just for the holidays by giving selflessly.
So thank you Atlantic.Net staff, family and friends. We appreciate the smiles you helped put on the faces of the children of the Russell Home. We should support the communities we live in. Words cannot express how giving back warms your heart, I recommend you try it out! If you would like to find out more about the Russell Home or make a donation, you can visit their website at www.russellhome.org. They are always accepting donations and volunteers.
Tags: Atlantic.Net team, Charity, Community Involvement, Gift Drive, Orlando Data center, Russell Home for Atypical Children, support the communities
