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SALT LAKE CITY — Some of Santa's hardest workers were sifting on Tuesday through loads of gifts, many of which were contributed by viewers and readers of KSL TV and ksl.com for hundreds of Utahns with intellectual disabilities.
The Utah Association for Intellectual Disabilities told KSL at the end of November that it needed help. At that time, its rooms were empty. Hundreds of ornaments still hung on the wall. But Tuesday found UAID bursting with gifts — so many, in fact, that it will make a difference for even more people this Christmas.
Christmas bells are ringing for many families who have low-income Utahns with intellectual disabilities on their gift lists. Marie Plumb, who is supporting four people on social security, picked up gifts for her daughter and grandson.
"It's going to be a good Christmas," she said. "If it wasn't for the program, I don't think a lot of children would have a Christmas."
Gifts are piled to the ceiling, where previously there were few. UAID said a phenomenal surge of support came in after a Nov. 29 story highlighted the organization's needs.
"We're slowly running out of places to put things," said Kristen O'Shea with UAID. "That following weekend, tons of people came in and adopted people off our wall."
That exposure also caused another surge in demand, as another 400 applications for gifts came in, and more ornaments went up on the wall. They are Utahns of all ages with autism, traumatic brain injury and down syndrome. They are members of our families, and neighbors.
Where: 1453 S. Major Street (between State and Main), SLC When: Dec. 19 & 20, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Some of those who are receiving gifts also helped wrap gifts for others and sort deliveries for as many as 1,200 recipients, a record number.
Durke Todd has a traumatic brain injury, and volunteers for UAID throughout the year. But he especially likes being one of Santa's elves.
"I like to see everybody get a present at Christmas time," he said.
There's still work to do. Generous donors keep dropping off gifts, so UAID plans to help out even more disabled Utahns during Gift Box emergency sessions Wednesday and Thursday. And that makes Christmas quite a bit brighter.
"It makes me proud, knowing what I'm doing in the community," Todd said.
