Before the pandemic, I had the opportunity to volunteer for a day with Holiday Express. With everything closed down last year, they didn’t do their regular schedule of visiting schools and health care facilities. Fortunately, there are many ways we can all help share the gift of human kindness this year! Here is what you can expect:
I’ve been a fan of Holiday Express for many years. We took the kids to see them when they were younger and were lucky enough to be there when Bruce showed up and sang his two Christmas songs! The amazing thing is how much Holiday Express has grown and evolved over the years.
Tim McLoone is the creator, bandleader and overall North Star to this group of talented musicians. The mission is to visit those that are less fortunate and sprinkle a little Christmas kindness into their lives. This is only able to happen by the overwhelming support for Tim and the band. Behind the scenes, countless hours of preparation and organizing are handled by volunteers.
It was something I always wanted to experience first hand and for the first time, had the chance to do so when Holiday Express visited The Midland School in North Jersey. From signing up to meeting everyone at the bus, it became quite clear that this is a well-oiled machine! The bus ride was so much fun! We arrived at the school and began preparing for the children’s arrival. Again, a system was in place to make the setup go smoothly and we all had our parts to do.
The kids came in with such excitement and after we served them lunch (courtesy of Jersey Mikes), the fun really began. Instructions were “get the kids dancing!” which I did and they had a ball! The music from Holiday Express is magic. I’ll never forget those kids and that day of seeing what pure joy looks like.
Before long, we had to say “Good-bye” and the cleanup process was quick and easy. Our ride back was filled with laughter and food and I promised I would be back. That’s a promise I intend to keep in 2020.
I would urge all of you to volunteer for this worthy cause not just because they need the help, but for what it will do for you. Be prepared to have your heart filled with love.