Each summer, the spirit of St. Nicholas, popularly known as Santa Claus, brings Christmas cheer to our girls at Upbring New Life Children’s Center (New Life). History tells us that St. Nicholas was the patron saint of children, protecting them from abuse and exploitation. His presence each July is a heartwarming reminder of hope and care for the children we serve at this residential treatment center, most of whom have experience in the Texas foster care system.
The Heartwarming History of Christmas in July at Upbring
Christmas in July began in 2002, inspired by an Upbring volunteer who later became an official part of our family as a Philanthropic Advisor. This event was created to bring fun and cheer to the children in our care who may not have experienced positive holiday seasons. Through this celebration, we aim to enhance their wellbeing and give them the chance to create new, joyful Christmas memories that can be such an important part of normalcy in childhood.
“It was such a fun and festive day with our girls at New Life!” said Shelby Mallett, Director of Special Events for Upbring’s Community Engagement team. “From gifts to crafts to snowball fun at the end of the day, it was such a joyous experience to watch our girls have some summer fun in the holiday spirit.”
Keeping with tradition, our Upbring Warriors prepared various stations throughout the New Life campus in Canyon Lake, Texas, ensuring our girls had everything they needed for creating artworks or participating in activities like races. The girls visited each station in groups, rotating to experience all the fun.
A Day of Joy: Highlights of 2024 Festivities
In the New Life Chapel, they made colorful flip-flop sandals by gluing strips of pre-cut material to a core rubber sandal. The results were truly eye-catching! Over in the Café, the girls had a blast making Grinch slime. They also crafted beautiful Christmas ornaments with personal touches.
In the Games Room, girls sat in a circle wearing oven mitts, trying to unwrap a large ball of plastic wrap filled with hidden prizes including fidget toys, stickers, Croc charms and Chapstick. Each girl had 30 seconds to unwrap and claim a prize, which she got to keep.
One of the most exciting activities was the Christmas sleigh race. Pairs of girls raced “sleighs” made from cutout paper taped to red balloons, which were attached to straws threaded on a long string. To start their engines, the girls blew up their balloons and then let them go, with the sleighs that went the farthest the fastest winning the race.
The Frosty the Snowman Relay added to the healthy competition, requiring girls to bundle up in scarves, mittens and hats before racing to the far end of the room and back. They handed off the garments to their teammates for the next leg of the race.
Each room was adorned with Christmas-themed inflatables, pine fragrance and festive music. Sweet treats and Christmas goodies included candy canes, chocolate Santas and festive headbands. The girls also received gift bags with hand lotion, fun socks, puzzle game books and candy.
Finally, the girls enjoyed a snowball fight with sno-cone-style shaved ice formed into lightweight balls—providing a perfect end to a magical day.
A Meaningful Experience
“I look forward to Christmas in July at New Life every year,” shared Katie Evans, Upbring’s Manager of Church and Communication Relations. “It is an honor to serve these beautiful girls who are working so hard to overcome past experiences and change the trajectory of their future.”
Director of Public Relations & Communications Valerie Villarreal works in the Brand department and doesn’t always get to experience Upbring’s work in action. “Visiting New Life Children’s Center for Christmas in July was a profound reminder of why we do what we do,” she said. “The holidays can be a challenging time for anyone, and for those in foster care, the memories might not always be fond ones. Being a part of creating joyful and happy moments for our girls at the center is an experience that I find incredibly meaningful.”
Events like Christmas in July remind us of how simply being there for the children in our care can have a significant impact on their wellbeing. By investing time, energy and resources, we can offer them positive, loving experiences and relationships they need to heal and thrive.
To learn more about New Life, visit Upbring.org/New-Life. For more information on becoming an Upbring partner, visit Upbring.org/Get-Involved.