When Bethany Haberle was 11 years old, she was “going through a tough time” but a Christmas gift from Logan Charity lifted her spirits.
Now, she volunteers at the same charity– Be an Elf at Beenleigh, to pay it forward to other disadvantaged kids.
“My Dad was in hospital and we had a really hard time that year,” Ms Haberle said.
“I started volunteering about 16 years ago and it’s really good when we’re delivering the presents the week before Christmas to see the smiles and the excitement on the children’s faces.
“My Dad brought me in to start with wrapping presents and now I’m helping out with a little bit of everything.”
Ms Haberle helps out with toy runs, collecting letters at Shopping Centres, food and hamper deliveries, and other charitable causes will stretch into Christmas Day and beyond.
Volunteers help grant a child’s wish through answering “wish letters to Santa” and delivering Christmas presents to kids who would otherwise go without.
Be An Elf’s Founder June Hintz said there’s a range of reasons why people become elves and the Charity’s gift has the power to positively impact a child’s life for years to come.
“We have some of their main volunteers and there are people that in the very first years were recipients and now they’ve grown up and they’ve come back.
“You’ve got to do this out of the love in your heart and out of the kindness because that’s what sums up the spirit of Christmas.
“Most of the people have had rough childhoods and some of them have done very well in their adult life and they also want their children to realise that there’s other people out there that don’t have as much as what they do.”
Ms Hintz, who grew up in Beenleigh, said she too can relate to the feeling of isolation that many of the recipients feel.
“When I was a kid, I was put in the Hospital with Polio,” she said.
“I was there quite a long time and Christmas came and passed and as a little kid, when you’re seven years old it’s kind of very heartbreaking.
“I’ve also seen a lot of families that have drug problems within the family and, I’d sit down and talk to the kids and I would see exactly the same feelings as what I saw when I was a kid.
“Every day is the same, everyone talks around and over you, you don’t know what’s going on, nothing ever changes.”
So it’s Ms Hintz and Ms Haberle’s mission to give hope to young people this Christmas.
“More than ever, families are in utter despair but our Elfs are providing the ongoing love and support that’ll empower a child to thrive.”
“Even if you only get the one thing that you really, really hoped for, that can be a real turning point as a kid.
“So I want to be part of helping make sure that as many kids as possible could have that turning point and that little bit of hope.”
