PARK CITY, Utah — When a family needs assistance at the Christian Center of Park City, the first person they talk to is Julisa Ruiz, but little do they know, she was once in their shoes.
“My husband and I were going through a very difficult situation. His health was not good, and we were struggling financially and with food and everything,” she said, “Thank God they were able to help with a lot. And then I was able to get a job here, and that made it so much better for me, because it really gave me a purpose.”
While her story had a happy ending, she still sees herself in the clients, especially around the holidays.
“At this time of the year, many parents are not able to give gifts to their kids, and that makes them feel really sad not being able to provide that,” Ruiz said.
According to the program director Eli Shackelford, the CCPC gives families hope; Operation Hope, to be exact.
“We set up a complete shopping center, a Christmas shop, where parents come in... they take about 15 minutes. They shop through the store,” said Shackelford, "the whole goal is just to make parents feel special and valued and understand that we want them to be able to provide for their families and for their kids.”
It feels different this year, however, with demand increasing 10-15% coming out of the government shutdown, and they need the community’s help.
“We are trying to add a couple hundred more students this year. So yes, there's always a need. We'll have to buy some at the end, but we really rely on these donations,” Shackelford said.
Ruiz said it’s moving to see families walk away, taken care of.
“It is beautiful because you know that the Christian Center is really using all these donations and these funds to help people that are in greatly, in real need,” she said, "they won't struggle with basic needs like food and clothing.”
Across the way at the food pantry, volunteer Paula Seeley shares that same emotion when she sees families.
“I also used the thrift shop upstairs to buy clothes and things like that that I clothed my son and myself over the years,” she said "it is so rewarding that nobody will go hungry, nobody's going to go without a diaper, even if you're not in the system and you needed help, everything is here.”
The deadline for the toy drive will be December 6.
To sign up for volunteering or to donate, you can visit here.
Operation Hope's event will take place from December 9 to December 10, and are looking for donations, especially for age groups 15-17.
“Earbuds are good for them. Electronics, hats, mittens, things like that as well,” Shackelford said.
