'Make a kid merry': Two BFFs light up the holidays for single-parent homes

Jordynn Jenkins and Skylar Beavers, two best friends from Cincinnati, Ohio, were both raised by single moms when they were growing up. During the holiday season, the mothers often needed support in order to give their daughters a merry Christmas. Now, Jenkins and Beavers are looking to pay it forward. Therefore, they established "Make a Kid Merry," an organization through which donors can make contributions to buy children in single-parent households presents for the holidays. Their goal this past Christmas was to purchase gifts for a total of 50 children. Donations came in from kind do-gooders, and the duo's friends were enlisted as helpful elves to wrap and deliver the presents, WCPO News reports.

"We both come from single-mother households, so we both had to be sponsored for Christmases before," Jenkins explained. "We just wanted to be able to create a way to give back to our community." This year, the ongoing pandemic has especially hit single-parent homes hard, making their initiative even more impactful. Donors could choose to either make a contribution of $50 towards the cause or buy and donate gifts from a family's wishlist. Both acts of kindness supported a family in need. Beavers affirmed, "It's about just giving back to a cause that is bigger than you, and we're both really big believers in that."

The mission of Make a Kid Merry is to "empower parents to feel confident about providing Christmas and a positive spirit for their children," their website reads. When a family is short on funds, it can be difficult to preserve the Christmas spirit for young kids. The organization thus makes sure that no home is without holiday cheer. This initiative is different from others as they take into account the personal desires of children in need. To the duo, it is not simply about gift giving. Rather, it is about connecting with and inspiring the youth in their community. They explain, "As two teenagers not far in age from many of the children we sponsor, we know how important it is to make our youth feel seen, heard, and acknowledged in a world that can commonly make us feel otherwise."

The organization asks children detailed questions to provide the most personalized experience possible. This, Make a Kid Merry assures, leaves donees confident in knowing that they are deeply understood and cared for. They affirm, "That's a mission that cannot be easily replicated, and that's exactly what sets us apart." For Beavers, the initiative is a way to make an impact on her community. "I'm always trying to find new ways to give back and connect with the communities close to me," she said. "This is where my long term mission begins." Meanwhile, Jenkins has a passion for working with young kids. She stated, "I understand how important it is to make an impact on kids during their early years when you can help set a strong moral foundation for them. I hope to use Make a Kid Merry to give back by uplifting youth all across our city using what we all love the most: the Christmas season." To learn more about Make a Kid Merry, you can visit their website here.