The Greatest Gift ($500 Award Winning Blog)

“They knew,” India said with a smile. “They knew that they were finally in a place that they could call their home.” 

India Alexander, a twenty-one-year-old single mother of two girls, described to her case manager the feelings of her two baby girls: “They laughed for hours and stayed up most of the night playing in their rooms.” India smiled as she continued speaking about the joy that she had, seeing her babies so at peace. And then for the next fifteen minutes, she went on to plan with her case worker the next career steps of enrolling in nursing school to fulfill her dream of becoming a registered nurse. She stated, “Ms. Lakisha, the greatest gift that I can give my two girls is the best version of me.”

And she is doing just that. 

India’s story is nothing short of inspiring. From overcoming being abandoned by her mother, to being in a physically abusive relationship and having to find shelter in a dysfunctional home that worsened her depression, she nonetheless continues to trust her wings to fly her to new heights of possibilities. India now not only has a new apartment that allows her daughters to explore freely; but her family here at the Sanctuary of Hope just celebrated her finding new employment with a higher pay rate that is also closer to where she lives. India is now researching nursing schools to begin classes in January. 

The gift of $500 would allow India and her two daughters to have a Christmas that for many years they have longed for. Not a Christmas made up solely of presents and a large tree, but the smell of baked cookies in the oven made with her two daughters, the taste of warm milk as they snuggle up in cozy pajamas to read a bedtime story. India has never been able to celebrate a holiday with her daughters where they were all safe due to her being trapped in a horrific domestic violence relationship. This $500 would give her the chance not just to buy gifts but to create memories so that when her daughters have grown up into powerful, kind, and inspiring women, they will be able to think back to the greatest gift their mother gave them. More than the toys, clothes, and tasty snacks, the gift of herself. A woman who showed up every day working hard, being diligent, and always believing that the best is yet to come. So that when her daughters grow up to become all that they were created to be, they too, will be able to give to the world the greatest gift as well. 

Fearfully and wonderfully, themselves.