Secret Santas bring joy

Two elected officials showed up at Dayspring Village, a mental health residential facility near Hilliard, on Tuesday in their roles as Secret Santas. Nassau County Judge Robert Foster, Public Defender Matt Shirk and members of the Nassau Bar Association including Teri Sopp arrived with over 200 gifts for the mentally ill residents who call Dayspring Village home.

"When people tell me these days that 'no one cares' or 'we live in a society that does not care,' I have to look no farther than the hundreds of gifts from complete strangers who participate in the annual Secret Santa program to know people really do care," said Douglas Adkins, executive director of Dayspring Village.

"We are grateful and honored that community leaders like Judge Foster, Public Defender Matt Shirk and

(state Department of Children and Families) Regional Administrator Nancy Dreicer would make plans to come and personally get involved," said Adkins.

"The impact this program has on creating a connection between the mentally ill residents at Dayspring Village and the community is significant. The community support over the last 19 years of this program has always reminded the staff and myself that we all truly live in a special county, state and nation. The gift of Christmas is really the gift you make in the lives of others and today we have witnessed first-hand how people impact on those around them. It makes the season very special indeed," said Adkins.

"Many who struggle with the symptoms of mental illness often experience repeated failures in their lives from economic, occupational, social and medical failures during the course of their illness. The number of successful life experiences too often are few and far between. Often their memories of Christmas include times of great loneliness, isolation, depression and hospitalization," he said.

"For many of our residents they can recall what happens at the holidays perhaps better than most, so when our Secret Santas deliver the joy and happiness of the season to the front steps of our facility many residents are often struck that anyone would care or even notice them.

"The success of this holiday experience crafts a long-lasting impression in their minds that indeed people do care and by their action they have made it real."

Dayspring Village will accept donations of baked goods, socks, jackets and undergarments all through the holidays and would welcome volunteers who wish to come and spend Christmas Day to help serve as Santa's elves for the gift party at 2:30 p.m. To volunteer, contact Secret Santa Coordinator Denise Cumbus at (904) 845-7501 or dayspring06@windstream.net.