Photo Courtesy of Shaniora Buford

By Liz Rothaus Bertrand
Correspondent
The Charlotte Observer

Growing up in a small town in Michigan, Shaniora Buford just wanted to be like everyone else. She’d put on a brave face, but inside she was suffering.

Buford, now 26 and living in Charlotte, has Sickle Cell Disease. It’s a painful genetic blood disorder that can cause debilitating symptoms. The disease affects about 100,000 people across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and has a higher rate of occurrence among African Americans than other racial groups.

She manages her symptoms through prescription medications, monthly blood transfusions and additional medications administered through intravenous infusion.

Even though it was hard to ask for help, Buford decided to reach out to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s Angel Tree Fund for assistance with holiday gifts for her 3-year-old son,

Emaan, who has autism Emaan is among the thousands of Charlotte-area children who will receive gifts of clothes and toys under the Christmas tree again this year, thanks to contributors to the program. In cases where donors don’t step up, Charlotte Observer readers cover the expense by giving to the Empty Stocking Fund, which the Observer has sponsored since about 1920.

Last season, Observer readers donated $164,526 to the campaign that helps provide gifts for kids, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Money raised by the 2022 Empty Stocking Fund campaign allowed The Salvation Army to buy 12,000 toys for this year’s campaign, along with gift cards for seniors, foster children and adults with disabilities, Salvation Army officials said.

The 2023 Angel Tree program will help about 4,000 families in Mecklenburg and Union counties, representing at least 5,500 children. And the program is providing gift cards to at least 1,500 seniors and 400 people with disabilities.

In 2022, the program served 2,607 families representing 6,662 children, officials said. The effort also served 1,715 seniors and provided 407 gift cards for foster children and individuals with disabilities, according to Salvation Army figures.

“The Angel Tree program this year will really help me be able to give Christmas to my son,” Buford said.

WORKING TO FIND HER JOY

Despite the challenges posed by her disease, Buford pushed herself to reach her goals. “Prior to the pandemic,” she said, “I always kind of had the mindset of I can be and accomplish anything just like anybody else.”

During high school, she completed her Associate of Applied Science degree in Culinary Arts, then moved to Charlotte to complete a Bachelor of Science in Food Service Management at Johnson and Wales University. After that, she worked in the hospitality industry, including at Something Classic and the Charlotte Marriott Center City hotel.

But the pandemic changed everything.

She became a mom in 2020 and needed to think both about maintaining her own health and the safety of her newborn son. Chronic blood shortages also meant long waits at the hospital, something impossible with an infant.

“It was pretty much either choose myself or choose him,” she said.

Due to her increased vulnerability to illness and a lack of childcare for her son, she did her best to manage her disease at home with telemedicine appointments and continuing her regimen of medications. Despite having insurance through her parents’ plan, Buford still pays as much as $1,000 per month for certain prescriptions.

The pandemic also limited Buford’s employment opportunities, so she put her culinary skills to work at home.

She started her own home baking business, with a focus on made-from-scratch desserts like cheesecake, cookies and pies. Right now, orders come from other small businesses and through word-of-mouth. Eventually, she’d like to create an online platform for it.

Even on days when her legs don’t work, Buford said she can still use her hands to create and make a living.

“Whether I can stand up some days or, maybe somedays, I really need to sit down or rest,” she said, “ I can still… do things that I enjoy.”

CHRISTMAS IN CHARLOTTE

Emaan is not verbal, so Buford hopes to create holiday traditions he can participate in and remember. That includes giving him interactive gifts that can help him develop his fine motor skills, like puzzles, mega building blocks and possibly a scooter.

Emaan also loves books. When Buford reads aloud to him, he likes to turn the pages and imitate the animal sounds in the stories.

Because of her transfusion dates, Buford said they are unable to travel to be with family this year. She and Emaan are trying to make the most of the holiday season by checking out local Christmas shows and light displays.

She also hopes to brighten the season with her cooking, with a special meal for the two of them or with a few close friends.

She can’t always eat everything she makes for others, but Buford said she’s well-practiced in how to adapt recipes. It’s a skill she’s honed throughout her life.

Her father, who served in the military in Saudi Arabia, converted to Islam and many in their community were practicing Muslims. Her hometown of Romulus, Michigan, is only about 20 minutes away from Dearborn, Michigan, which has the largest per capita Muslim population in the country.

Buford said she decided to share her story with the Observer because she’s been working on her confidence and overcoming her past feelings of shame in speaking about her situation.

Moving to Charlotte at age 19 forced her to develop a voice to advocate for herself and also served as a valuable lesson in opening up.

“Because we all have separate stories,” she said. “We all have, you know, triumphs or the climax of the story before we have downfalls. But that’s what makes everybody their own individual.”

Read more on The Charlotte Observer website

In a year of obstacles and heartbreak, a Charlotte mom finds hope for the holidays

By Liz Rothaus Bertrand
Correspondent
The Charlotte Observer

It’s been a challenging year for Elizabeth Taylor and her three sons.

In November 2022, the Charlotte native and single mom lost her job. She had worked 10 years as a community service representative/manager for a local arcade, when it closed down permanently. Then, things got worse for the 37-year-old.

Since January, she has mourned a series of unexpected deaths, including the loss of her beloved 19-year-old cousin to gun violence. Several family members have dealt with debilitating health issues, property loss or a need for emergency medical care. That includes her father, who was in a serious car accident in October that sent him to the hospital for more than a week with broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Taylor, who is her dad’s only family in the area, spent that time shuttling back and forth between home and hospital. She’d get her kids to bed, spend the night at the hospital then return in the morning to take her sons to school.

After that, her father stayed with Taylor and her children for about a month to further recover. Taylor, who has worked part-time jobs on-and-off since she lost her arcade position, had to temporarily stop work in order to manage his care.

Earlier this year, Taylor also went through a serious depression, devastated by the deaths in her family and worried about how she would pay her bills while raising her boys, 17-year-old Amari, Alijah, age 12, and 6-year-old Legend.

What’s more, her mom and younger sisters, whom she considers her main support system, recently moved out of Charlotte. She and her boys lived with them for a decade. “I’ve finally gotten to a place where I can get myself together,” Taylor said, “and try to keep going because I have to for my kids.” She’s also finding support this holiday season through The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s annual Angel Tree program for presents for her kids.

They are among the thousands of Charlotte-area children who will receive gifts of clothes and toys under the Christmas tree again this year, thanks to contributors to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s annual Angel Tree program. In cases where donors don’t step up, Charlotte Observer readers cover the expense by giving to the Empty Stocking Fund, which the Observer has sponsored since about 1920.

Taylor said the Angel Tree program will enable her to have something under the Christmas tree besides hand-me-downs for her two youngest kids. “I have three boys, so I keep stuff from the last one… But as far as without that, this year,

I probably wouldn’t be able to do much of anything because I’ve been out of work, and the money that I do make goes towards bills.”

Alijah and Legend have both asked for toy Orbeez guns that shoot gel water beads. Alijah is also hoping for a scooter or a new bike.

HOW EMPTY STOCKING FUND HELPS FAMILIES

Last season, Observer readers donated $164,526 to the campaign that helps provide gifts for kids, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Money raised by the 2022 Empty Stocking Fund campaign allowed The Salvation Army to buy 12,000 toys for this year’s campaign, along with gift cards for seniors, foster children and adults with disabilities, Salvation Army officials said.

The 2023 Angel Tree program will help about 4,000 families in Mecklenburg and Union counties, representing at least 5,500 children. And the program is providing gift cards to at least 1,500 seniors and 400 people with disabilities.

In 2022, the program served 2,607 families representing 6,662 children, officials said. The effort also served 1,715 seniors and provided 407 gift cards for foster children and individuals with disabilities, according to Salvation Army figures.

FAMILY TRADITIONS AROUND CHRISTMAS

In a typical year, Taylor said she likes to do a big Christmas celebration with extended family.

Usually on the menu are traditional favorites like ham, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potatoes. But this year, Taylor said there’s talk of changing it up with a Mexican food theme.

There are games and music, ranging from Christmas Carols to the kids favorite dance hits. And nearly the whole family — from the youngest to the oldest — joins in for a round of Cupid Shuffle line dancing.

‘YOU GOT TO HAVE FAITH’

Things are starting to get better, Taylor said.

She currently has a part time job as a Spark Driver, handling delivery and returns for customers of Walmart and other retail outlets.

“Doing this delivery for Walmart has been getting me through,” she said. Taylor is up to date on her rent and is working to get caught up on her electric bill.

She recently received a job offer for an Amazon warehouse position, which would allow for a more consistent salary. The proposed schedule is the only hitch, since her availability is limited while raising a young child. But if it doesn’t work out, she plans to keep looking.

After months of worrying about how she was going to cover her expenses, she’s feeling more hopeful.

God always makes a way, she said. “Something that I’ve learned through all of this is you got to have faith and just no matter what, you know, God has the last say… It’s not always about what we have planned.”

HOW TO DONATE

To donate online, visit Empty Stocking Fund CLT.org.

To donate by mail, send checks to: The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte, PO Box 31128, Charlotte NC 28231. Make checks payable to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte and write “Empty Stocking Fund” in the memo line.

Read more on The Charlotte Observer website

Photo Courtesy of Shanice Geiger

Observer readers help single mother of six this holiday through Empty Stocking Fund

By Liz Rothaus Bertrand
Correspondent
The Charlotte Observer

There have been some big changes for Shanice Geiger and her blended family this year.

She and her four biological children and two foster children moved into a new home in July. They needed the extra space as the kids, ranging in age from 5 to 17, are getting older. But it’s been tough with other rising expenses.

“It’s harder to put smiles on their faces when you have to worry about making sure that they can have a place to lay their head, a warm place to lay down and some running water,” said Geiger, 35, who trains employees in Spectrum’s call center.

Geiger assumed legal custody for her foster children because a relative, the children’s mother, was unable to financially support them and struggled with addiction. Nadya, 17, moved into Geiger’s Charlotte home five years ago and her 5-year-old brother, Ayden, joined them several years ago.

Ayden started school this year and recently began therapy to address illnesses related to his biological mother’s addiction, Geiger said.

An increase in rent plus these new medical expenses have made it especially challenging as Geiger looks toward the holidays, she said. So Geiger reached out to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s Angel Tree program for assistance.

The program matches children in need with anonymous donors who buy them presents for Christmas. In cases where donors don’t step up, Charlotte Observer readers cover the expense by giving to the Empty Stocking Fund, which the Observer has sponsored since about 1920.

ABOUT THE EMPTY STOCKING FUND

Last season, Observer readers donated $164,526 to the campaign that helps provide gifts for kids, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Money raised by the 2022 Empty Stocking Fund campaign allowed The Salvation Army to purchase more than 12,000 toys for this year’s campaign, along with the gift cards for seniors, foster children and adults with disabilities.

The 2023 Angel Tree program will help about 4,000 families in Mecklenburg and Union counties this holiday season, representing 5,500 children, Salvation Army officials said.

And the program is providing gift cards to 1,500 seniors and 400 people with disabilities, according to The Salvation Army. In 2022, the program served 2,607 families representing 6,662 children. In addition, the program served 1,715 seniors and provided 407 gift cards for foster children and individuals with disabilities.

Geiger used the Angel Tree program once before, more than a decade ago. That was the first year she was on her own with her three oldest biological kids.

“I’m the type of person that only uses the resources when I truly, truly needed it,” she said. “And this year I felt like I really, really needed it because we’re going over some hurdles right now.” WHAT THE KIDS WANT FOR CHRISTMAS Geiger said 5-year-old Ayden is “all about cars… he wants to be a car himself.” He asked for a motorized scooter.

Christian, 9, is fascinated by science and math, and has asked for a chemistry set this Christmas. The other children, Kaleb, 12, Zachary, 13, Zion, 15, and Nadya, age 17, have all asked for gift cards for video games. “If it’s not the PlayStation, it’s Roblox,” Geiger said. “So that’s all that they’re asking for.”

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Geiger and her children will spend Christmas in Charlotte with Geiger’s sister, whom she calls her best friend. The rest of their extended family live in Columbia. Getting down there with all six kids on Christmas day is just too challenging, Geiger said.

The kids usually open gifts in the morning and the family enjoys a relaxed brunch together.

“We have all this breakfast food all over and we eat on that all day, while the kids play. And we probably (will) go back to sleep because we’ve been up all night wrapping gifts—that’s traditionally what we do,” she said.

Geiger said she and the children are still working on assembling their furniture.

She hopes it will be ready in time for them to host Christmas at their new home this year. She also said she wished more people knew about the Angel Tree Program.

“I do love the fact that it’s out there,” she said, “especially when you need a little bit of assistance to make people a little bit happy. It’s not about the amount of gifts you have or what you can do. It’s just putting a smile on people’s face.”

HOW TO DONATE

To donate online, visit Empty Stocking Fund CLT.org.

To donate by mail, send checks to: The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte, PO Box 31128, Charlotte NC 28231. Make checks payable to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte and write “Empty Stocking Fund” in the memo line.

Read this story on The Charlotte Observer website

5 things to know about holiday toy drive and the Observer’s Empty Stocking Fund

By Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer

Thousands of Charlotte-area children will receive gifts of clothes and toys under the Christmas tree again this year, thanks to contributors to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s annual Angel Tree program. In cases where donors don’t step up, Charlotte Observer readers cover the expense by giving to the Empty Stocking Fund, which the Observer has sponsored since about 1920. Majors Jason and Bethany Burns began as the area commanders for The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte on June 18. “While we are new to Charlotte, the community’s reputation is known far beyond its borders,” Jason Burns told the Observer. “We know this community is one that prides itself on banding together to meet needs. And we are confident this year that will again ring true.”

HOW THE EMPTY STOCKING FUND WORKS

In October, Salvation Army staff accepted and processed applications from families requesting assistance for the holidays. Parents gave wish lists of items for their children, and the requests were transferred to Angel Tree tags. Each tag represents a child. Charlotte-area residents and groups anonymously “adopt” and buy gifts for the children, and will deliver the presents to The Salvation Army Christmas Center by Dec. 7. The center this year is at 1831 N. Tryon St. In cases where donors don’t step up or “angels” go unadopted, Charlotte Observer readers cover the expense by donating to the Empty Stocking Fund. The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s annual Angel Tree program has begun. It provides toys for children in need, and the Observer’s Empty Stocking Fund covers additional needed expenses.

FAMILIES IN NEED

Families in various circumstances seek help from The Salvation Army, Jason Burns said. The primary earner in a household could have unexpectedly lost a job, he said. Medical bills, loss of a family member and other factors also drive the need. “Some parents never thought they would be in a position of asking for help,” Burns said. “They are coming to us for the very first time because they don’t know where else to turn. “Through programs like the Empty Stocking Fund, we can ensure that every child registered is taken care of,” he added.

POPULAR WISH LIST ITEMS

The children’s wish lists often include the same popular toys any child would want, Burns said. “But we also see basic needs, such as coats, socks, shoes and more,” he said. For the youngest children, parents often request necessities like diapers, wipes and car seats, Burns said.

THE IMPACT

Last season, Observer readers donated $164,526 to the campaign that helps provide gifts for kids, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities. Money raised by the 2022 Empty Stocking Fund campaign allowed The Salvation Army to buy 12,000 toys for this year’s campaign, along with gift cards for seniors, foster children and adults with disabilities, Salvation Army officials said. The 2023 Angel Tree program will help about 4,000 families in Mecklenburg and Union counties, representing at least 5,500 children. And the program is providing gift cards to at least 1,500 seniors and 400 people with disabilities. In 2022, the program served 2,607 families representing 6,662 children, officials said. The effort also served 1,715 seniors and provided 407 gift cards for foster children and individuals with disabilities, according to Salvation Army figures. Burns said a favorite childhood memory of his “was coming down Christmas morning and seeing the Christmas tree and gifts underneath it. “At The Salvation Army, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to experience the joy of a Christmas morning,” he said. “Every family should have an opportunity to create those special memories.”

HOW TO DONATE

To donate online, visit Empty Stocking Fund CLT.org. To donate by mail, send checks to: The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte, PO Box 31128, Charlotte NC 28231. Make checks payable to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte and write “Empty Stocking Fund” in the memo line.

Read this story on The Charlotte Observer website