Most people’s favorite thing about Christmas is receiving gifts. Although the experience is always exciting, nothing compares to the joy of gift-giving to those in greatest need.
Each year, East Idaho News’s Surprise Squad gets to feel that sheer enjoyment with their yearly Christmas program called “Secret Santa.”
The segment was started by an anonymous donor who donated $1 million to the news organization and wanted to find people who might need it. The donor wished to keep his identity unknown to the public, making the title “secret” Santa a perfect fit.
East Idaho News accepted the responsibility of finding a worthy recipient. They had to be careful about their choices, as a million dollars is quite a large sum.
In a recent episode, Secret Santa surprised Steven with gifts.
The father works in a home improvement shop and has six children ranging from three to sixteen years old. Rayne, his wife, is also a hardworking parent. Rayne and his wife had to work extra to provide for their family’s needs after raising such a large family.
Rayne was diagnosed in February with colon cancer. She had to undergo chemotherapy treatments, which drained the family’s savings.
They also had to purchase a hospital bed for her, so she could sit up while sleeping. The bed cost $3,000.
The propane furnace also went out. Their family needed at least $5,000 to get it repaired or replaced. However, due to their limited budget, they had to rely on electric heaters to keep them warm. This may not be enough as winter is approaching.
Despite their difficulties, the couple is optimistic about what lies ahead. They didn’t complain. Instead, Steven put all his energy into working hard to provide for his family—a trait that made him worthy of a gift from Secret Santa.
Nate Eaton stated that Steven was elusive several times. He was at work on that day and received his Christmas surprise.
Steven was able to recognize the crew because he had seen a lot of their Secret Santa videos. He knew what they were there for but admitted that he didn’t expect to be chosen as a beneficiary.
After asking Steven about his situation, Nate gave Steven his Secret Santa gift. The man opened the box to discover that it contained gas cards worth $2,000, which he needed to pay for his fuel costs since he lives 45 minutes from his home.
The gift cards included $3,000 worth of clothing and groceries.
Secret Santa also gave Steven $5,000 to fix their heating problem! The amount will be sufficient to repair or replace their furnace.
Steven’s unexpected blessings will help their family in many ways. The unexpected blessing will certainly lighten the load on Steven’s shoulders.
Viewers who have watched this particular episode of Secret Santa were touched by Steven’s gentle demeanor.
“What a wonderful father and spouse. So humble. They will now have a warm home,” commented one.
“There are 2 types of people on this earth those who are humble and those who are about to be!!! Sir, you’re a fine gentleman. You are well deserving of these gifts.!” said another.
We hope that this story inspires and motivates you to help someone in need this holiday season.
In the video below, Steven opens his Secret Santa presents.
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