When you think of Christmas, you may not think of home repairs, but Christmas in Action of Cleburne, TX does. For them, as quoted by Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street; “Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a state of mind,” and with that mindset, they keep the spirit of Christmas alive all year long. The Christmas in Action program started in Midland, TX by a man named Bobby Trimble, who was moved to help the elderly in his hometown to make home repairs that they could not. One sunny day in April, as they made repairs for an elderly woman, she exclaimed “This is just like Christmas in April,” and Christmas in April was founded. When they decided to complete more projects throughout the year, they changed the name to Christmas in Action.
A worker for the City of Cleburne, Theresa Bednar, used to travel the city and would be forced to write tickets to elderly people, she knew had no ability to fix the things she was ticketing them for. The leaning carports, the falling fascia, and unsightly landscaping they had no power to repair themselves, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and give them the helping hands they needed. She contacted Bobby Trimble and brought him up to train her team in how to help those who could not help themselves.
Christmas in Action is run completely on donations and volunteer labor, and each year, Ulrich donates a playhouse to be auctioned off to raise money for any upcoming projects, blind bids are taken throughout late November and December, and the highest bidder gets the building delivered to them for Christmas. The building is also used as a parade float for the city parade, adorned with lights and garland; the building is showcased for the entire city to see. We encourage anyone in the Johnson County area to either bid on or donate to this wonderful charity, who is not only beautifying neighborhoods but building relationships between neighbors.
For more information, please visit their website at www.christmasinaction.net
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