Elf on the Shelf Supports Homeless Veterans
The homeless population faces difficult challenges during the winter months.
Cold temperatures and limited access to shelter and warmth make this time of year especially hard for individuals experiencing homelessness. That is why the Ishrat family decided to take a different approach with the popular “Elf on the Shelf” tradition during the holiday season.
In the spirit of giving, Moheed Ishrat, Social Worker for the Caregiver Support Program at the Amarillo VA Health Care System (AVAHCS), prompted his children’s elves, Present and Rex, to teach the kids about small acts of kindness. When the elves visited the kids one day, they left them with lots of materials to put together care packages for homeless Veterans and a note that read:
“We love spreading Christmas cheer by doing small acts of kindness for both of you! We would love to see how many care packages you can make to help someone else in need of a little joy this Christmas. We’ve asked our friend Sprinkle to come over and help you tonight. Only six more days!”
Sprinkle the Elf shared the invite with Meagan Price, Social Worker for the Caregiver Support Program at AVAHCS, and her daughter Kensli. They accepted and went to help the Ishrat family put together the care packages.
“This was a very humbling experience that I hope our kids can learn something from,” said Moheed. “They enjoyed doing this and they love giving back to others. This is what the spirit of giving and the holiday season is all about.”
Moheed’s daughter, Madison Ishrat, shared her thoughts and said, “We think our elves did this because they work with Santa Clause and want to spread joy and also, they want to teach us that we should do this all year round.”
Altogether, the two families made 40 care packages and brought them to the AVAHCS Housing First Veterans Program to support homeless Veterans in the region.
“What is even more special about these outreach bags, is that the kids took the time to write special encouraging notes to our Veterans,” said Carly Bueno, AVAHCS Housing First Social Worker. “Many of our homeless Veteran’s do not have a support system. That little message of hope could really make such a difference during a time when they may be ready to give up.”
“I’m so proud of our kids for their efforts and enthusiasm for this project,” said Meagan. “We hope to continue this tradition every year, but we also want to enact small acts of kindness like this throughout the year as well.”
The outreach bags consisted of several items including socks, hand warmers, water, snacks, nail clippers, razors, feminine hygiene products for women Veterans and more.
“Every year, AVAHCS Housing First hits the streets to participate in the Point in Time Count (PIT Count), where we are assigned different areas across Amarillo to look for homeless Veterans,” said Bueno. “When doing outreach, our priority is to assess and determine what resources we can provide for each Veteran to get them housed, but it is such a bonus to see their faces light up when we provide them with outreach bags.”
VA is committed to ending homelessness among Veterans. As of October 30, 2023, 38,847 Veterans across the nation have been permanently housed, representing 102.2% of the goal. VA has met this goal and will continue its efforts to permanently house more Veterans. The AVAHCS Housing First team works diligently to improve these efforts in West Texas and surrounding areas. To directly reach the Housing First team, call 806-355-9703 ext. 7755.
If you are a Veteran or know of one who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838 for assistance. It is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors who can talk with you right now and connect you with your nearest VA for help. Additionally, the Veterans Crisis Line is 988, then press 1.