A wide variety of winter coats being organized.
A large table full of toys and other items intended for young girls.
Shoppers at the 2023 Brighter Christmas event.
LUMBERTON 一 The Robeson Together Brighter Christmas program is sponsoring over 200 Robeson County students affected by housing instability.
According to Executive Director Brianna Goodwin, the Brighter Christmas program was founded in the early 2000s because many families in Robeson County may not have the financial resources to have a traditional Christmas celebration. “Whether it’s food, or presents or clothing that we typically attribute to a happy Christmas morning,” Goodwin said, “With our county having 27% of the population at or below the poverty rate, many families won’t be able to provide that.”
The program has taken many different shapes over the years, partnering with numerous local businesses and volunteers to set up a temporary ‘store’ where sponsored families and children can go to pick out a set number of items. For the 2024 version, Robeson County Public School social workers will be invited to attend the store and shop for the sponsored students in their schools.
While Brighter Christmas usually serves families with children 2-12 years of age, Goodwin said that working with the Public Schools of Robeson County (PSRC) has adjusted the age range for the 2024 event. “We reached out to Shaneitha Nance, the social work supervisor for PSRC,” Goodwin said, “and they have identified 246 K-12 students who are either actively homeless or housing insecure in some way.”
When presented with the number, Robeson Together chose to sponsor all 246 students, many of whom Goodwin said were beneficiaries of the McKinney-Vento Act. This law helps unhoused families keep their children in school. “We were enlightened to the sheer number of students who are facing [homelessness] in our county,” Goodwin said, “and we couldn’t think of students who would be more grateful or a better fit for Brighter Christmas.”
A wide variety of local businesses will provide Brighter Christmas with toys, clothes and other fun items and essentials for students of all ages.
According to Goodwin, students without stable housing may experience social struggles around the holidays because their experiences are different from those of their peers. Feeling good about their clothes and not having to make up a story about the holiday to fit in can be crucial in developing confidence and feeling equal.
The Brighter Christmas project holds personal significance for many of the workers and volunteers. “I was sponsored as a child for Christmas,” Goodwin said, “ and I know what it’s like to have to go to school, and everyone is talking about what they got for Christmas and you either have to be quiet or make up a story. It’s a big piece of equity, making sure that the students aren’t ostracized in a school setting.”
Goodwin grew up in Hilton Heights, one of the public housing areas that flooded in Hurricane Matthew, right next to the RCCC. “My life has really come full circle,” she said. “I’ve been that child; I’ve been on the other side of this scenario. It keeps me going to know what it feels like for the sponsored child on Christmas morning.”
To donate to the Brighter Christmas fund or for more information on Robeson Together, visit robesontogether.org or call 910.738.5204
Contact Victoria Sanderson at Vsanderson@robesonian.com.
