For those of you that are not local to Knoxville, Weigel’s is a local gas station with locations all over Knox County, Tennessee.
Mr. Weigel served on the board at the Salvation Army for over 40 years. He and his two children started the Weigel’s Family Christmas in December 1999. This program is all about GIVING BACK! It enables children in need to have an exciting Christmas experience; when sometimes their families can’t afford gifts, a meal or even sometimes just providing attention that the kids need.
The morning of the Weigel’s Family Christmas, the kids and volunteers meet up at the Knoxville Expo Center to enjoy breakfast with one another. The breakfast is AMAZING….overflowing tables of apples, bananas, pastries, hot chocolate, orange juice, water, coffee and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts! Inside this magical room of goodies are JUST the children and the volunteers! The children get to pick out whatever they want to eat and drink; with an unlimited supply-or so it seems! For the first time, these kids get to have the opportunity to choose; with no monetary value required. They fill their little bellies, run around and play with one another and even get to visit with Santa!
Afterwards, the children load up in school buses and go down the street to the local Target; which is where the kids are assigned to their Volunteer. Weigel’s give EACH child $150.00, tax-exempt, to spend how they wish! The Volunteer’s introduce themselves to the child and walk around Target (ok, actually it is more like DASHING TO THE TOY ISLE!!) to allow these kids to choose anything they want in the store! If they get a scooter-they are also required to get a helmet. If they get a DVD-it must be age appropriate.
This is Brooke’s 2nd year volunteering at the Weigel’s Family Christmas! Her family, which includes: her husband Tyler and teenage daughter Alexus, love helping these kids in need! “Anyone who volunteers for this program will walk out a changed person” said Brooke. She continues to state that “your heart as you lead, guide and teach these kids during this process is just bursting with joy! If you do not walk out filling fulfilled, something went wrong.”
Brooke’s daughter, Alexus, showing a child a snow globe. It was the first time the child had seen one.
Brooke likes to turn her time volunteering at this annual event into a “learning experience.” According to Brooke, “If a child is given $150.00 allowance to buy whatever they want in the store, I like to teach them different ways of calculating their budget. I teach the kids how to use calculators, the simple rounding up method and explain what tax is to them; even though the shopping via this program is tax-exempt. I want these kids to not only get whatever they want, but I also what to teach them the value of a dollar. Those are simple life lessons learned while shopping.” The kids to not have to be RIGHT ON with the amount they spend either. If the toys, clothes, books and DVD’s these kids pick out ring up to be $170.00: there is no putting items back. The program want the kids to feel loved and cared for and not put them in a “NO” environment.
Once the kids check out at Target with their Volunteer, they head back to the Knoxville Expo Center for a hot lunch before getting their bags of toys and heading home!
The first Weigel’s Family Christmas event started with about 6 children chosen by the Salvation Army. Over the past 16 years, the program has expanded to 200 children and over 400 volunteers annually.
If you are interested in volunteering for the 2020 Christmas season; please visit the link below:
https://www.weigels.com/contact-us/
Brooke asked the child, “How should we pose for the picture?” Which the child replied “silly!!” Here is Brooke with the child while he drinks his hot chocolate and finishes his breakfast!
