Tag: holidays

Common Holds Burlington Coat Drive in His Hometown of Chicago

Throughout the holiday season, Burlington customers can donate new and gently worn coats at their local Burlington store. This year, Common, along with teenage students from his Common Ground Foundation, launched the iniative in his hometown of Chicago.

For the past 13 years, Burlington, alongside their partner Delivering Good, has been committed to hosting this coat drive for the less fortunate. Over 41 million people live below the poverty level in the U.S., and they are in desperate need of coats in these colder months.

“I am committed to supporting and uplifting the people of Chicago through any ways possible. The Common Ground Foundation has been one of the greatest and most impactful ways to give back to my hometown. I am excited to team up with Burlington and Delivering Good and bring it home so that we can give Chicagoans a sense of hope, keep them warm and make a difference in their lives, ” said Common.

Anyone can donate a coat at any Burlington store through January 20, 2020. All of those who donate will receive 10% off of their total purchase at the store. To learn more and find a store near you, visit Burlington.com.

Watch a quick video from the event below!

109-Year-Old Grandma Spreads Holiday Cheer with the Harlem Globetrotters

A 109-year-old woman who famously danced with the Obamas has now linked up with the Harlem Globetrotters to bring holiday fun to a school in Washington, D.C. 

Virginia McLaurin used to volunteer at the Roots Charter School. Recently, she went back to the school with the Globetrotters, whom she’s spent her last three birthdays with. The centenarian went with the team to throw a fun holiday party for the students! Mrs. McLaurin even sang to the children during the visit. 

Of course, the Globetrotters also pulled off some of their famed basketball tricks for the kids as well. From the looks of the footage, it looks like they all had a great time. Side note: I really hope I’m having this much fun still when I get older! 

Mystery Man Pays For Gifts For Strangers This Holiday Season

One mystery man in Vermont is paying it forward for the holiday season.

A man, who only goes by the name Chris Kringle, went to Walmart in the state and helped to pay layaway bills for strangers in the store. For Julie Gates, it was a complete shock when the man paid her bill of $199. “I was still in disbelief and I turned to my mom and said, ‘He’s just a wonderful man and I think the Christmas magic is walking among us,’” she shared with Inside Edition after “Kringle” paid for her things.

The man went on to pay for others as well. However, he definitely doesn’t want to be identified for his good deeds. “I said, ‘Can I have your name so I know who I’m thanking?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely,’ and I thought he was going to give me his real name, and with that, he turned around, never said another word and walked off,” Julie shared.

Someone snapped a photo of the man from behind, showcasing a New England Patriots jacket that he wore at the store.

Turns out that the man has a fake Facebook account to keep things lowkey, and stated that he was glad to help others this season. “I think he’s just trying to stay anonymous, as anonymous as he can,” Julie shared. “He said, ‘I’m not the person my name is on Facebook, and I just wanted to say you’re welcome to everyone I helped.'”

This was truly a blessing for others this holiday season. And I applaud the man for wanting to do this without any recognition, too. Sometimes people do good deeds with bad intentions or to seek attention. He just wanted to give back where he could and kept it moving. I love that.

 

Jennifer Lawrence Visits Children’s Hospital in Louisville for the Holidays

Jennifer Lawrence is all about spreading some holiday love in her hometown of Louisville, KY, for Christmas!

As is one of her holiday traditions, the actress stopped by Norton Children’s Hospital on Christmas Eve, spending time with patients and their families, as well as staff members. “This visit has become a tradition for Lawrence each Christmas,” the hospital shared on its Instagram page. “Thank you, Jennifer! You sure do bring a smile to all!”

Norton is truly a place near and dear to Jennifer’s heart. She even donated $2 million to the hospital in 2016, creating the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. I’m sure all of these families and the staff appreciated her yearly visit, as she posed for photos and gave hugs to everyone. Little things like that really matter, especially during the holidays!

Check out some pics below!

 

Secret Santa Donates $10,000 to Family of Woman In Coma for Two Years

This is the season for giving, and one family in Idaho definitely received a holiday surprise they’ll never forget!

Mike Bartell and his six children has had a rough few years after his wife and their mother, Lauriann, fell into a coma during surgery after suffering a bleeding ulcer. Mike cut back on his work hours to take care of his kids, ages ranging 12 to 24. Even the kids began helping out and even took up jobs to help support the family and their mother’s hospitalization.

The situation has definitely been a stressful one for Mike, but he and his family just received an amazing gift for Christmas this year. They were surprised with a donation of $10,000 by a Secret Santa, at a time where they so desperately needed it!

Mike opened his door earlier this month to be met with a news crew from EastIdahoNews.com, which presented him with the check. “Mostly I was just overwhelmed, I couldn’t believe it,” Mike told Inside Edition. “It was something that was needed so badly.”

Mike and his family plans to spend the money on living expenses. Meanwhile, they continue to take care of Lauriann, who has improved over the years. They are hopeful that she will make a full recovery one day.

What an incredibly thoughtful surprise! Whoever donated these funds must have known what this family was truly going through, and wanted to bless them this Christmas. Prayers and thoughts go out to them!

 

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