Dozens of Sharp Grossmont Hospital departments came together to distribute gifts to 41 East County families in need through Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s Santa’s Korner event on Dec. 12.
During the holidays, the Santa’s Korner gift drive supports families, selected by local east county agencies, by gifting them with items from “wish lists” provided by the families. Individual hospital departments signed up to donate items that families may not be able to afford on their own, such as everyday household items to bicycles, cell phones and appliances. Santa’s Korner has been a tradition at Sharp Grossmont Hospital for nearly four decades.
“The generosity is so overwhelming every year,” said Ryan Purdy, community relations manager at the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Community Resource Center. “We collect toys, household goods and lots of clothes. What makes the program so special is that everything is tailored to that exact family.”
Purdy said this year they collaborated with its department of pregnancy services as they see women have a child or going to have a child with challenging situations, La Mesa Head Start, Aka Head Start in Spring Valley, Salvation Army, East County Transitional Living Center, and Crisis House.
“It is really cool,” he said. “The agency will interview family members who have extra needs during the holiday season. They complete forms down to detail of what shoe size is needed, shirt sizes, the kind of toys the children might enjoy. The list of things captures a whole range of things including basic household needs. We have people who put down baby wipes, diapers, and paper towels. We are very excited to meet some of those very basic needs. We encourage folks to put down some exciting things for their children. Toys that would otherwise be out of reach without some help. One of the things I love to see every year, which takes me back to my childhood, every year we see around a dozen bicycles specifically fit for the age. It melts my heart because that is a basic thing that many of us take for granted.”
Purdy said it is incredible that the staff at Sharp Grossmont Hospital not only dedicate their lives to helping people every day, but the staff is always enthused about this event.
“I never have to beg them to please adopt a family,” he said. “We had 41 separate families adopted this year from a two-member family up to an eight-member family, equally up to 100 children and family members. Our departments start asking me about this event way before we have the families selected.”
Purdy said each department involved does the purchasing of gifts differently.
“Some take a collection. Our supply distribution services this year held a bake sale on Halloween to raise money for the family they adopted,” he said. “It shows you how Santa’s Korner is far from an obligation. It is embedded in the culture of hospital staff. And these folks, of all ages, deserve a brighter Christmas.”
Purdy said the departments usually have a “ring leader” for their adopted family, and one department will adopt a family of six. The emergency department is so large, it typically adopts two large families, and the small departments want to be involved as well and might combine to adopt a family. He said that most departments go beyond the gift list. He said most families ask for things that are a bit modest, and the departments know that they can do better. So many also include gift cards so they can shop for themselves and give them a little more holiday joy.
“It all works out like poetry,” he said. “Delivery day is fun. We have it down to a pretty smooth science day of.”
Purdy said they block off a section of its parking lot and between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. is when the departments deliver all the gifts, cards, and it is divided up by organization with each box labeled for the family that the gifts go to.
“These are precisely tailored gifts for each family,” he said. “It is really a scene of joy. Folks are really excited. Many people come wearing Santa hats with their scrubs. Then when the departments are back at work, the agencies come through with their trucks picking up these generous gifts. We had music going. It is a fun thing that we all look forward to.”
