Christmas is often described as best experienced through the eyes of a child. For many children, it’s a time of bright decorations, festive celebrations, and family gatherings.
However, for many Boys Town youth, whose lives have been marked by poverty, crime, and hardship, Christmas has been anything but joyous.
“Christmas always made me feel sad and I felt it just wasn’t for me. It was traumatic,” said Tyler, a Boys Town alum. That changed when Tyler arrived at Boys Town. “At Boys Town, I remember all the love, the laughs, the food, exchanging gifts, and reading Christmas cards. Even though I wasn’t with my biological family, I felt the warmth of a real family Christmas.”
Boys Town’s commitment to making Christmas special for all kids began with Father Flanagan, who recognized that many children had never experienced a true Christmas. Every year, he made sure that the youth decorated a tree, sang carols, and received a gift. These traditions, now more than 100 years old, continue each holiday season.
Family-Teachers and Family Consultants at Boys Town strive to make Christmas special and exciting for the youth and their families. “For many of our kids, there is a lot of hurt associated with Christmas,” said Family-Teacher Tricia. “We love to give them positive and fun Christmas memories.” Her husband and co-Family-Teacher, Scott, added, “We exaggerate what we do for the holidays to make it even more spectacular than we remember as kids. We try to replace the sense of loss or having missed out that they often feel. It’s a time for joy and celebrating with family.”
The goal of the holiday season at Boys Town is to give youth the chance to be kids and to experience holiday traditions they can one day share with their own children. Years from now, long after they have graduated, our youth will create their own traditions, many rooted in their first Boys Town Christmas.
