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A New Haven pastor felt 'undeserving' as a child at Christmas. She's changing that for teens now

New Haven Register - 12/10/2021

Dec. 10—NEW HAVEN — Pastor Brenda Adkins, the oldest of 10 children, remembers as a youth waking up on Christmas morning with no gifts under the tree, as her mother had reached the spending limit on Adkins' nine siblings.

Adkins would act like it didn't bother her, as she didn't want her mother to feel badly, but she went to her room and cried.

As a teen, "It made me feel like I was undeserving," she said.

In response to that — so that fewer children in poverty have to experience what she did — Adkins and her husband, John, have established, "A Christmas to Remember," an effort to provide gift cards for youths 13 to 19 years old.

This is the fifth year of the program.

The couple is looking for donations of gift cards in $25-$35 denominations and will pass them out Dec. 20 to families of teens that have already been selected. The families also will receive brand-new coats for adults and children, and baby formula and diapers, if needed.

Adkins said families these days are making those tough choices like her mother used to have to make, between paying bills and buying gifts.

"We just don't want any child to wake up and not have a gift for Christmas," Adkins said. "We're trying to put a little smile on their faces and relieve the stress (for parents)."

COVID has made the situation worse than usual, as many who lost jobs or work time because of child care issues may not be back on their feet yet, she said.

She said gift cards for stores that offer an array of choices, such as Walmart and Target, are ideal. Some teens may want to purchase food or even essential clothing such as socks, she said.

While there are many programs to put gifts for younger children under the tree, there are fewer that provide for teens.

Donations of cash or gift cards can be mailed to Adkins at 330 Munson St., New Haven, CT 06511. If anyone has questions or wants to make another arrangement, Adkins can be reached at 203-836-6832.

The Adkinses have the coats left over from their recent annual Day of Joy dinner and giveaway, as there were fewer served this year because of the pandemic. The Knights of Columbus donated hundreds of brand-new coats and with those left over, Adkins wants to "bless" families, as well as the teens through their parents, she said.

The disposable diapers and formula are available as a result of the Adkinses' partnership with the Diaper Bank of Connecticut.

The giveaway will not be open to the public, as recipients already have been identified, she said.

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