It wasn’t exactly a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. Instead, it was a rented truck and a handful of St. Tammany Health System employees.
But for 41 Northshore families, it should prove to be close enough.
As part of an ongoing holiday tradition, the health system this week dropped off two truckloads of wrapped gifts – all purchased with money donated by STHS colleagues – to the Department of Children and Family Services in Covington for distribution to local families in need.
STHS Executive Assistant Sarah Gallaher, who spearheaded the effort, said more than three dozen hospital departments stepped up to “adopt” a family for the holidays, filling wish lists provided to them by Family Services.
In an ordinary year, Gallaher said, there’s enough participation to brighten the holidays of 25 to 30 families. But this year is anything but ordinary, and participation was off the charts.
“I kept calling them back, saying, ‘We need more families!,’” Gallaher said as Family Services representatives and STHS colleagues unloaded the rental truck.
Most of the families consisted of a parent or caretaker and anywhere from one to four children. The biggest, however, included nine children ranging from 6 years old to 14.
After helping unload one of the trucks, STHS Chief Operating Officer Sharon Toups admitted to being a little overwhelmed by the generosity on display, especially given how difficult this year and the COVID-19 pandemic has been for the health system’s healthcare providers.
“When I was growing up, my family always adopted a family in need at Christmas,” Toups said. “I am so pleased to continue this tradition with my St. Tammany family. The generosity of our team always amazes me. In 2020, the importance of healthcare heroes was brought to the forefront, and our heroes at STHS delivered joy to 41 families in our community in a big way.”
It’s unclear exactly how long the annual gift drop-off has been going on, but Gallaher said she’s been working at St. Tammany Health System for 13 and that it predates her time there.