NEWPORT, Tenn. — Elizabeth Henderson and her husband have three children enrolled in Northwest Elementary in Newport. She said they've been fortunate, but sometimes life happens and an extra helping hand can make a huge difference.
One of Elizabeth's most challenging times began with COVID as they missed a lot of their friends and opportunities to be together and celebrate.
On Friday, all three of her children, two second graders and a fourth grader, got to enjoy a special day at their school as Mission of Hope and Dollywood came bearing gifts.
"Just this year, I've changed jobs, my husband had a major surgery we've had to cut back, we've had to make some changes, some adjustments," Henderson said. "And as much as you try to keep the kids from realizing where those setbacks, or having to come from, this gives them a chance to be kids to have that excitement of not having to feel like they have to kind of tiptoe and be extra careful and worry about that responsibility being on the forefront."
Libby Henderson is one of her children, she said this is one of her favorite days of the school year.
When WBIR asked Libby if she wrote a letter to Santa and if she knew what she wanted, she readily gave an answer along with the description of her wish.
"I do the pledge of allegiance every morning and I have an owl for them cookies and cream," Libby said. "I just want a Barbie kitty reveal. It's like we're this doll is like in a costume like an animal. And that you just unwrap or deceive or reveal."
Mission of Hope partners with Dollywood during the holidays and serve more than 10,000 children.
David Heatherly, director of Mission of Hope, said they give out toys, some clothing, some food and some hygiene products, and celebrate the hope of Christmas.
Every one of the 29 elementary schools they deliver to is part of a distressed county, Heatherly said. That means they're in the bottom 10% of America in many categories.
"Imagine as a child, you wake up on Christmas morning, and you run downstairs to what you think would be a tree, but there's nothing there," Heatherly said. "We're here to make sure that we supplement Christmas for those kids who don't have a chance. Give them a warm meal, give them toys and give them the hope of Jesus Christ during this time."
Four children got bicycles at Northwest Elementary last year. This year it's 16 children who get to walk away with some wheels.
Each child gets to pick two toys, but that's not a strict number. Some children walked with a few gifts in their hands, especially if they have siblings waiting for them at home.
Principal Shannon Grooms told WBIR it's more than what meets the eye.
"It's truly the the Christmas spirit for us and it's the greatest day of the year at Northwest Elementary," Grooms said. "Mission Hope has enabled us to not even have to publish a school list, because they supply all of our students with all their needed school supplies at the beginning of the year."
With a simple toy, they aim to instill the idea of hope for a better tomorrow, Heatherly said.
Currently they have 53 kids going to college on the Mission of Hope Scholarship, and they've graduated 81 children since 2009.
But Friday was all about excitement and fun.
"They get to come in and pick whatever they want," Elizabeth, Libby's mom said. "There's no restriction, they get to meet the volunteers and get to be that kid with that spirit of giving at Christmas. They get to have a good time doing it and they have fun, and it gives them a little bit of sense of empowerment that they can have that choice to choose what they want."
There are always going to be people out there who care want to support these kids, Henderson said.
As children sang Christmas carols accompanied by some Dollywood characters, they patiently went back to their classes until they were called in to pick up their gifts.
Libby got more than what she wished for. When WBIR asked her what she wanted to wish to other children, this is what she said:
"I would wish them a merry Christmas," Libby said. " And people that have COVID, people in hospitals, to get really better. So, I'm really wishing for them to get better."