Holiday Cheer

Allie, a seventeen year old girl with Down syndrome.

They say the holidays are a time for giving, and I definitely agree! This year I did a project called UAID. This was for kids with disabilities and special needs who live in institutions. They, along with their caregivers, fill out a slip with what they need and a couple things that they would like. The person we chose was named Allie and she has Down syndrome, the same thing my little brother has. She is 17 years old, but her intellectual age is 6. The difference between an age and an intellectual age is that your age is how long you have been on the Earth; an intellectual age is how old your mind is. It pertains to how you can function in society and how developed you are.

The crazy thing about this was that when I looked at what she wanted for Christmas, I was blown away. She needed socks, underwear, a shirt, a coat, a hat, gloves, sweatpants, and a hygiene kit. The only things that didn't seem necessary to her life were a One Direction CD and the Frozen DVD. It was incredible that their lists were filled with what we look at as the bare necessities. They needed what we take completely for granted. While I have a closet full of clothes, she just needed something different to wear.

To get her gifts, we drove to Walmart. It was awesome! It was super fun to go through the store to find stuff for her. We made sure that the coat, hat, and gloves would look good together, got clothes that were in bright colors, and even got one extra thing. When we were walking over to find the One Direction CD, we saw Frozen blankets. We couldn't hold back and got her the one with just Elsa. The reason it sounds like we almost didn't get wasn't because we didn't want to spend the money or something, but because, in the institution, they can get jealous. They share things like DVDs and CDs, but if one person gets the child they picked too many special, personal gifts, they others can get jealous. We decided to get it, because if she needed clothes and socks, she probably needs a nicer blanket too.

All in all, this was an amazing experience! There are so many different organizations and projects that people can donate to, and I recommend you do. It is so worth the happy feeling you get when you know that your presents really will be loved and that someone will be thankful for the hour and a half you spent running around a store for them. In conclusion, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and happy holidays!!!