Volunteer Norah Simms, 8, hands a gift to a family during the annual New Visions Homeless Services Christmas event on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Director Brandy Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
Above, from left, volunteers Ellie Larmie and Stella Simms, both 10, and Mary Simms pick out toys to hand out to families during the annual New Visions Homeless Services Christmas event on Tuesday. Below, New Visions Homeless Director Brandy Wallar hands out treats to kids as they drive through the to receive Christmas gifts
New Visions Homeless Services Director Brandy Wallar hands out treats to kids as they drive through the New Visions campus to receive Christmas gifts, supplies and food during the organization’s annual holiday event on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
Families drive through the New Visions Homeless Services campus to receive Christmas gifts, supplies and food during New Visions’ annual holiday event on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Director Brandy Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
Staff members and volunteers load goodies into families’ vehicles during the annual New Visions Homeless Services Christmas event on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Director Brandy Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
Volunteer Micah Hutchison, 10, grabs a box of frozen turkeys to hand out to families during the annual New Visions Homeless Services Christmas event on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Director Brandy Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
Staff members and volunteers are festively-dressed as they load goodies into families’ vehicles during the annual New Visions Homeless Services Christmas event on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Director Brandy Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
Staff members and volunteers load goodies into families’ vehicles during the annual New Visions Homeless Services Christmas event on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Director Brandy Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
Volunteer Ellie Larmie, 10, right, hands a gift to a family during the annual New Visions Homeless Services Christmas event on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Director Brandy Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
The annual New Visions Homeless Services Christmas event is always a joyous, fun-filled affair.
That was no different this year — but how the nonprofit organization celebrated the season was.
Instead of one large event, over three nights New Visions served around 3,000 kids in southwest Iowa, either with gifts or gift cards for families to use toward gifts, according to Director Brandy Wallar. Families drove through the New Visions campus, stopping by a series of pods with supplies, toys and food.
“It went really well,” Wallar said.
Wallar explained that area individuals, families and businesses sponsored 1,000 children for the Christmas giving, determined based on information from human services agencies, school districts and elsewhere.
“Last year we adopted out about 300 kiddos,” Wallar said. “That shows you how amazing our community is.”
The Iowa West Foundation and its Southwest Iowa COVID-19 Relief Fund partnered with New Visions on the event, Wallar said. The move also allowed the organization to expand its base of who it helped.
“We were able to serve families from all of southwest Iowa. Families from Sidney up to Mondamin — those that couldn’t come to the event, we were able to purchase gift cards to send them so they could get their families gifts,” she said.