WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- You've heard about Toys for Tots, an effort to make sure kids in need have something special under their Christmas tree, but one woman in Luzerne County is behind a project to make sure single, working mothers aren't left without any presents either.
For the past two years, Donna Nelson has been shopping for more than just the family and friends on her Christmas list. She also shops for single, working mothers through her Adopt a Single Mom Project.
"I realized that through my own lived experience that I must not be alone, that there are a lot of other single moms that were sharing the same kind of thing that I was. And I know that there are single moms who were just like me who did not have gifts under the tree unless she spent her own money and put them there," Nelson said.
Nelson says the idea for the project was inspired by her son asking her on Christmas morning why Santa hadn't put anything under the Christmas tree for her.
"Of course, I was wondering what he was thinking, like, is she a bad mom that Santa didn't get gifts for her, you know? It's amazing the things that impress our children."
Nelson says she's raising $100 per single mom on her list now. Half of that money will go toward gifts for that single mom to put under the Christmas tree for herself.
"We don't want these moms to feel bad like I did at that moment, and we want them to have a gift so that their kids can see that they're valued and appreciated, too."
In addition to the gifts, the remainder of the $100 goes to the mother in a Visa gift card.
"We focus on things like self-care, comfort, and inspirational types of gifts that one she probably wouldn't normally buy herself and things that, you know, we want her to feel loved and appreciated and encouraged during Christmastime," Nelson added.
If you would like to nominate a mother to be a part of the project, the deadline to do so is December 15. The deadline to donate money to the project is December 18. Click here for more information.