We love sharing stories of homeschool families and groups across Colorado.  Here’s one from homeschool mom and homeschool group leader Shari McMinn. Have your own homeschool story to share? Contact us.

Homeschoolers Bring Christmas Blessings to Their Local Social Services Office

For the past five years, the Morgan County Homeschool Network (MCHN), a cooperative support group, has blessed their local Department of Human Services in Morgan County with Christmas cheer. The group of 30 families, with a combined total of 75 students PK-12, decided to “put their best foot forward” into their community with a special holiday outreach.

Several of the families had worked with DHS staff over the years while providing adoptive and foster care. While getting to know these caseworkers, an idea surfaced that somehow local homeschoolers could encourage social services staff and the needy kids they service.

The support group discussed and determined that assembling Christmas shoebox gifts for each child in Morgan County foster care  could be a beneficial annual charity. This year, that meant that more than 55 gifts had to be packed. Additionally, the group decided that the hardworking and dedicated DHS staff – numbering more than 60 across all departments – could be greatly blessed with home-baked goodies. This year, each staff member received a plate of Christmas cookies provided by one of the families for their part of the outreach project.

When it came time to deliver the shoebox gifts and cookie plates, more than a dozen families caravanned to transport the gifts to the DHS building. While there, they sang Christmas carols for 45 minutes in the main lobby  while being accompanied by a MCHN member mom on an old piano which had sat, rarely used, in the DHS lobby for years. Based on the frequent and enthusiastic applause, the performance was greatly enjoyed by several dozen staff members and clients who had appointments at the time and the sound of God-honoring music filling the lobby, adjacent corridors, and open doors spread the true message of Christmas – the celebration Christ’s birth, the greatest gift ever given.  

In addition, one MCHN member dad directed his five kids in a hilarious rendition of “I’m Gettin’ Nothin’ For Christmas.”  Several students who had practiced together weekly for two months accompanied one of the carols with percussion cups and clapping rhythms.  

The members of MCHN suggest other homeschool support groups consider a community outreach in order to share the love of Christ. If you need guidance, ideas, or suggestions, you may contact support group leader Shari McMinn at mcminnbcfarm@frii.com.

About the Author: Shari McMinn

Shari McMinn is a mother to 11, homemaker, farmwife, public speaker, and author of Stretched Yet Unbroken: A Family Knit Together Continues Their Legacy of Faith. She retired from her two-decade career as a commercial interior designer in order to homeschool her children and to spend more time with her beloved husband, Cary. She was widowed unexpectedly in June of 2013 with five minor children still at home and a farm to manage. Now active in her community, she volunteers much of her free time promoting adoption and homeschooling. You can visit her site at StretchedYetUnBrokenBook.com.