You stepped in when Willa thought she and her grandkids would go hungry

Willa never thought she’d need help. She and her husband were empty nesters and worked hard their whole lives. But hard times don’t ask  permission, even during Christmas.

First, the hurricanes tore into their roof. Insurance took months, but the repairs couldn’t wait that long. “We had to use our savings,” Willa said. Then, overnight, Willa and her husband were raising kids again. Their three grandchildren came to live with them – and Willa’s part-time paycheck plus her
husband’s fixed income weren’t nearly enough.

Rent, food, and utilities were one thing. The cost of school supplies and clothes for three growing kids was another. Willa watched the bills pile up and felt the fear creep in. Would there be food on the table this Christmas? Would her grandchildren have anything to open at all?

Willa had heard of Metro’s Holiday Tents before. She just never thought she’d be the one walking through the doors to ask for help.

But this year, she did.

“The Metro staff were so kind and patient,” Willa said. Staff helped her sign up on the spot for the Holiday Assistance Program – and thanks to you, they sent her home that same day with food from Metro’s Market Pantry so her grandkids wouldn’t go hungry while waiting for the Holiday Tent.

“If it wasn’t for Metro, my grandbabies would have nothing for Christmas.”

When the big day finally came, Willa packed her husband and grandchildren into their one car and drove to the Holiday Tent. What she found changed everything.

A food box with a ham and all the holiday fixings. A skateboard for her oldest grandson. Headphones and makeup for her granddaughter. Toys for the youngest. “Those gifts were the only gifts my grandkids were getting,” Willa said. “If it wasn’t for Metro, my grandbabies would have nothing for
Christmas.”

Because of you, three kids facing poverty woke up on Christmas morning still in their home, with presents and food. “Your help is a blessing,” says Willa.

Families like Willa’s are already walking through Metro’s doors, wondering the same thing her family once did: Will we make it through this? Will we
have a Christmas this year? Your gift – DOUBLED in impact – makes sure the answer is always yes!