Thanks to the work of faith leaders, city officials, volunteers and Community Partnership of the Ozarks’ Crisis Cold Weather committee, almost every member of Springfield’s unsheltered population slept inside a warm church building on Christmas Eve.
Multiple churches opened up as emergency cold weather shelters these past few nights after dangerous winter weather hit the Ozarks on Thursday.
And when those about 270 or so people people woke up on this cold Christmas morning, they discovered a wrapped gift at the foot of their cot — a present from Santa’s elves, if you will.
Somewhere between 3:30 and 5 a.m. Christmas morning, Katrin Scott, a longtime homeless advocate and founder of the No Reservations Food Truck, delivered more than 250 wrapped presents and gift bags to those sleeping at the 15 emergency overnight shelter sites. Tana Miller, another of Santa's elves, helped with the early morning delivery.
Scott put a call out on social media about a week ago, asking friends and acquaintances to consider purchasing presents for unsheltered folks. And she didn’t want the usual toothbrushes and HotHands that homeless people are often given. Scott asked her friends to give items that will make folks feel special and loved.
Common gifts in the boxes and bags include watches, Kansas City Chiefs hats, belts, shaving kits. And many of the women’s gifts include things like journals, makeup, nice lotions, jewelry and body spray.
“I knew the weather was going to be really rough during Christmas, and it’s been a challenging time coming out of COVID,” Scott said. “It just felt like everybody needed to know that there is somebody that wants to see them have that little spark of Christmas joy on Christmas morning.”
The No Reservations Food Truck is a nonprofit organization Scott created nearly two years ago as a way to help her unsheltered friends get training and experience in the food industry. Through Scott’s mentorship and support, a handful of the No Reservations’ employees have been able to complete treatment programs, pay off all their fines and get into housing.
Cynthia Phelps, a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, said she got to know Scott through the No Reservations Food Truck, which often serves food for her church’s events.
Phelps was the first to answer Scott’s call for Christmas present gift donations. She purchased and wrapped up 10 presents for women.
Phelps said she filled her gift boxes with luxury self-care items like body lotion, body spray, scented sleep masks, foot-spa specialty socks as well as chocolates and fancy notebooks and pens. She wrote out a personalized card for each of the women.
“I think all women like to be able to enjoy some self-care,” she said, “especially for women who may be without funds, without a home, without the means. They are not doing that for themselves.”
Phelps said she follows all of Scott’s projects and efforts to help the unsheltered community on Facebook and is “inspired by her dedication.”
“And also, I think there is something special about being able to help someone during the holiday season,” Phelps said. “I think everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and have something to look forward to.”
