(Editor’s note: The names in the story have been changed to protect the recipient’s identity.)
The biggest reason Suzy Snowflake decided to apply for The Era’s Less Fortunate (ELF) Fund was to “remind them that if they wanted something at all, they should ask for a ride to church because this is what Christmas is all about.”
She explained she wanted to give people something to think about.
The ELF Fund matches the Christmas wishes of a needy child or senior in the Bradford Area School District with a volunteer gift buyer. But, as Snowflake pointed out, there is more to celebrating the holiday than what will be under the tree Christmas morning.
When The Era arrived at Snowflake’s apartment on Monday to talk, she was eager to introduce her cat “Angel,” which she explained was a rescue cat from a Bradford woman who finds homes for them.
She was happy to talk about her daughters, as well as her upbringing, which is when she learned her values.
It was obvious Snowflake was not one to dwell on her problems. In fact, Snowflake seemed quite reluctant to talk about circumstances that brought her in July back to Bradford — where she grew up — and to the apartment she and “Angel” now share.
She moved to Olean, N.Y., in 1991, and had been living there in a house with a yard, until she got a divorce “for unpleasant reasons,” she said simply. And rather than describe the illnesses she is battling, she pulled out a list from medical documents of her diagnoses, which included Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, breast cancer, COPD and more.
She has family in Bradford, and she likes her apartment. The people in her building are “nice,” she said. “You can always knock on the door and find somebody who wants to go somewhere.” She noted that she’s been told a weekly church service might start happening in the building on Thursday afternoons — they are just looking for a pastor to conduct them. That would suit Snowflake just fine, as her arthritis makes mornings difficult.
Snowflake had already started to decorate for Christmas. A small faux tree sat in her living room area, and a Nativity was set up on the table.
This is the first year Snowflake has applied as a recipient. She recalled listening to friends discuss what they would ask for if they applied for The ELF Fund, and it was from that discussion that she decided to apply. However, she decided to ask for something that can’t be wrapped and placed under a tree — a trip to a church service, preferably Protestant.
Her values, she explained, came from the way her parents raised her.
Her father worked at Dresser, which she said was a good living, but with a family of eight children, the paycheck was thinly spread. She recalls her father being off work for awhile because workers were on strike, and that meant maybe barely one gift for each person.
“That wasn’t the focus of Christmas,” Snowflake said. Instead, she recalls her mother lining the children up in front of a cardboard fireplace to practice their lines for the Christmas pageant. They would have modest decorations — a real tree and strings on popcorn brought a festive appearance to the childhood home — but she was taught that this was important: “We had each other.”
Meanwhile, her cousins lived downstairs in the same building. Her cousins had “tons of toys,” but their father was an alcoholic. It was clear to Snowflake why her cousins spent every chance they could in her home — “We had love in our house.”
Snowflake’s faith was cultivated at a young age. Her mother read the Bible to her children every night, and they were active in the church. “That’s what our lives focused around.”
Her faith carried into how she celebrated holidays with her own children. For example, she would give them candy on Easter, but there was little focus on stories such as the Easter Bunny that took focus away from the true purpose of the celebration.
Snowflake will have the good fortune of spending both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with loved ones.
On Thanksgiving, she’ll spend the day with one of her daughters and her daughter’s caregivers. Snowflake explained she adopted the woman, who is quadriplegic, because she knew the girl’s family and knew she wasn’t living in good circumstances. She took care of her until the girl was 30-years-old, when the girl decided she wanted to move.
On Thursday, “We’re going to cook our little hearts out. Take a lot of pictures,” Snowflake said. She noted there is a special salad her daughter likes to make, then they will sit and talk.
They will talk to Snowflake’s biological daughter — who lives in Schenectady, N.Y., and can’t come to Bradford for Thanksgiving — through Skype.
However, both daughters, plus Snowflake’s 4-year-old and 5-year-old grandchildren, will be able to come up for Christmas.
While The ELF Fund can’t show recipients the years of love and care Snowflake has for her own children, a gift of warm winter clothes may help remind Bradfordians who are seeing difficult times this holiday season that the community wishes them joy.
For anyone who would like to volunteer as a gift buyer, ELF gift tags can be found at Bradford businesses. Each tag contains the Christmas needs and/or wishes of one local child or senior citizen. There is a $30 limit per tag.
Wrapped gifts can be dropped off at this year’s distribution center, 1020 E. Main St., Suite 4, a location donated by John Kohler. Gift collection times will be from noon and 6 p.m. Nov. 29, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, and from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 3.
It’s important to bring gifts back by Dec. 3, as ELF Fund volunteers will begin shopping right away for anyone who does not have a gift.
