Secret Santa
The week before Christmas this year, our employees got quite a surprise! You’ve probably heard of Secret Santa. He goes around Kansas City each year at Christmastime anonymously handing out $100 bills to unsuspecting people around town. He’s been spotted at gas stations, laundromats, grocery stores…and he always seems to have a knack for picking those who really need the money, or could really use a kind gesture.
This year because of the pandemic, “Santa” couldn’t go out and interact as usual, but still wanted to continue the tradition of spreading Christmas cheer. So he decided to honor front-line workers, and came here to the Jeanne Jugan Center to do just that.
A small group of masked, socially-distanced employees were called outside and were surprised by this stranger. He thanked them for their service, deputized Sister Michael Teresa to hand each of them a crisp $100 bill with “SECRET SANTA” stamped on it, and told them that each of their 115 coworkers would receive the same! They were stunned.
Once again, Secret Santa came at just the right time. Not only was the money a wonderful treat, but after 10 months of working through all the ups and downs of the pandemic, of the stress and uncertainty and fear, here was a stranger taking the time to reach out and acknowledge their sacrifices and to thank them. It not only lifted their spirits, but we’re sure all of the other front-line workers who watched the story on the news were touched as well. While this year’s Christmas was different than others in many ways, Secret Santa made sure that the true spirit was still there.
Click here to see the news coverage of the story.
Secret Santa