LOUISVILLE, Ky. — St. Vincent de Paul hosted its 28th annual Santa Shop Sunday, Dec. 15, lending a helping hand to hundreds of parents. Participants picked out Christmas gifts for their children from a wide selection of donated items.
Latiya Gist, a mother with four children at home who "shopped" at the Santa Shop, has been coming to this event every year for the past nine years.
“There’s a lot of stuff I can’t afford right now and couldn’t afford last year as well, and every year they come do the same thing,” Gist said.
Gist, who recently lost her car, said she's grateful she can get Christmas gifts for her children.
“This means help,” Gist said. “It means hope, and it means happiness to me and my household.”
The same is true for hundreds of other parents who have shopped at the Santa Shop over the span of its 28 years. This year, more than 1,000 children will receive gifts from the event.
“It gets a little bit bigger every year,” said Jennifer Clark, CEO and Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul. “I think we were only at about 800 kids last year, so this is our biggest year to date, which is very exciting.”
The organization has several programs throughout the year to help people with housing and food needs.