The Brief

• Mission Arlington has been helping families in the community for the past 40 years.

• The annual Christmas store allowed parents to shop for their children while saving their hard-earned money for their rent.

• Enthusiastic volunteers helped to make the experience a holiday blessing for the families.

ARLINGTON, Texas – An annual Christmas store in Arlington is helping holiday dreams come true for local families. And on Monday it was shopping day at Mission Arlington.

Harmony Ontere, a senior at Sam Houston High School, took on the role of a toy specialist at the event.

Ontere described his efforts by saying, ‘In the middle right here, you can get three different gifts for all your kids. And that wall right there, you get two for each kid.’ He enthusiastically assisted parents, offering guidance on selecting gifts.

Another teen volunteer, Summer Barker, contributed her time in the gift-wrapping section. She shared her sentiments, stating, ‘It’s nice to help out the community and know that what you’re doing is like going to be helping others.’

For 40 years, Mission Arlington has been a crucial support system for families in need. The organization’s leader, Tillie Bergin, expressed her delight at the annual growth in families seeking assistance.

Bergin emphasized the store’s purpose: ‘We tried to help people understand, ‘Let us help in the area of the extras and pay your rent. Don’t go into your rent money.’ So I think people are going to manage better and they have not been disappointed when they come here and get toys.’

Thanks to the passion of volunteers like Ontere and Barker, alongside the spirit of the holiday season, the event unfolded successfully. The Christmas store wrapped up its activities on Monday afternoon, leaving many families with warm memories and gifts to cherish.