“You are here a half-hour early, and today is not your day for gifts,” was my answer to Fatima as she rang the bell at 5 pm on Wednesday, December 18, to get her Christmas blessings. “No, no, today is the day,” answered Fatima. “My family is here for the CFNA gift.”

My frantic pleas for Syrian friends to come at 5:30 pm the next day had no impact, as Syrian (10), Nepali (5), Afghani (30), Liberian (5) and Sudanese (7) families requested they be allowed into the Peace Center for the annual CFNA Christmas Giveaway. On the second day of the event, December 19, families from Eritrea (9), Congo (10), Nepal (15), Afghanistan (2), Sudan (3), and other Arabic speakers (5) participated. Refugee friends picked up items including clothes, winter coats and gloves, blankets, welcome packages, detergents, body soaps, shampoos, female hygiene items, toothpaste, paper towels, and toilet rolls. By the end of the two-day Giveaway, CFNA had blessed more than 100 New American families with household items, evoking multiple responses of joy and thankfulness.

“It was chaotic early on, and I did not know what I was doing. But as the evening went, I enjoyed serving a lot of people,” remembered Lloyd Stohler, a high school student.

Over 20 volunteers, including LCMS Missouri District President, Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan, and his family, helped with buying items, arranging displays, and distributing items on the day of the event. Donation support came from New Beginnings Lutheran Church (blankets, winter coats, etc.), Katie Luther League at Village Lutheran (bath and dish soaps), a Thrivent grant from Teresa Nelson (paper towels, toilet paper), and the LCMS Missouri District Office (blankets, etc.). Donation items worth around $1500 were also brought with funds from a grant from the LCMS Office of National Mission.

As we witnessed the joy and conversations from our New American recipients, we were gratefully reminded of all our friends who made this Giveaway possible. CFNA sincerely thanks and appreciates all our donors, volunteers, ministry partners, and facilitators for bringing the joy of Christmas into the lives of our New American families through this event. It was their generous participation and presence that incarnated the “giving spirit” of our Lord for refugees recently resettled in St. Louis.

Mr. Rich Schaeffer, one of CFNA’s longest-serving volunteers, who also served at the event, captured the feeling meaningfully. “Pastor, this was such a great blessing to me to be a blessing to others. Thank you for asking me to serve.”

By Pastor Stanish Stanley Executive Director CFNA, St. Louis

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