By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
This holiday season, one Hays “elf” wants to make sure that Hays veterans and older residents that otherwise might be forgotten at Christmas receive a bit of comfort and joy.
Christmas Magic began as an idea to ensure a few area veterans received a holiday gift, said Janice Koshiol.
As a fellow veteran, she saw many falling into depression over the holidays and wanted to find a way to help.
“It's one of the hardest times for people to cope, during the holidays, especially Christmas, and especially when they're alone in the world,” Koshiol said. “And so, I got thinking, and I thought, I'll make gift bags for people that don't have anybody to remember them at Christmas.”
And while the idea began with Koshiol, she said individuals and groups have helped keep the program going and growing, and only considers herself as just one of the many elves that help brighten the holidays for veterans and others in care centers in Hays.
The first year, she envisioned donating six or seven gift bags.
But an out-of-the-blue conversation grew the effort almost immediately.
“A woman that I hadn't spoken to in literally over 50 years contacted me,” Koshiol said. “And we got talking, and [during] the conversation, she asked me what I was up to. … And you know, it's the fifth or sixth or something like that in December, and I mentioned about these gift bags, and she said, ‘Oh, we've got to do the nursing homes. And that six or seven bags turned into 63 bags.’”
The first year, Koshiol, along with Nancy Leiker and Judy Koerner, went to work to put the gift bags together, but each year the effort has grown with community support.
“The three of us hold ladies put out a play on Facebook for help,” she said. “And you wouldn't believe how people stepped up.”
The first year, Koshiol said, the way it came together was a reflection of the season.
“We didn't have a name. It was just three silly old ladies doing something that we just wanted to do,” she said. “And that it came together was magical. And that's how we got our name."
"It took magic to bring it together. And each year, it has taken magic to get it done. And it truly is the magic of Christmas that has got it done each and every year.”
That Christmas magic that allowed the first year to come together brought other volunteers forward the second year as the program expanded to those under the care of home health care agencies and nursing homes.
Current elves include Tony Anthony, Denessa Mitchell, Amber Koshiol, Carol Foos and their newest volunteer Angelique Christiansan.
Koshiol credits the Christmas Magic to the work of those volunteers, donors and community organizations that have assisted in delivering the gift bags.
“The first two years, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts would help us deliver these back to the individuals in the nursing homes because these people don't get visitors. We don't do just vets, we do the elderly and infirm people as well as those that don't have anybody else to remember them at Christmas,” Koshiol said. “And so, these people also don't have visitors, and so when these cute young boys and girls come in and bring them their bags, it really makes their day.”
The first year 63 bags were delivered, in the second year, 74.
And even during the pandemic, the program grew as the elves found creative solutions to keep Christmas Magic going and growing.
“One year, we included a group called DSNWK, which is for developmental services to people mentally challenged,” Koshiol said. “That was the first year of COVID. And that year, the scouts couldn't help us, so we didn't know what we were going to do. We didn't know how we were going to deliver these bags.”
But again, the Christmas magic intervened.
“American Legion writers stepped right up,” Koshiol said. “These are big burly guys on Harley Davidson motorcycles.”
Despite the COVID concerns, she said, many of those who greeted the riders during the deliveries could not help themselves and embraced them.
“To me, these are people that are forever children, they're precious people,” Koshiol said. “And these kids opened the door and saw these big burly guys come through the door bringing them a Christmas gift. They came charging out of those doors up to those big burly guys, and they're hugging on them, and these big burly guys are [saying] underneath their breath. ‘Oh, it was all worth it.’”
This year the scouts will again be delivering the bags.
They plan on distributing 120 gift bags, again filled with comfort items and small gifts.
“We take into consideration the people that we're dealing with,” Koshiol said. “These are all people that are receiving home health care in one way or the other. So, we put in two-in-one shampoo because it's harder for people in our position to wash and shampoo their hair. But we want to put in a nicer brand of shampoo.”
“We put in full-size bottles of things and a bottle of lotion, a big bottle of lotion, and then a big box of Kleenex. We want to cover the basics, so they have those,” she continued. “But then we also put in a deck of cards. And goodness, there's so much in these bags. We can't get them closed sometimes.”
A backscratcher, calendar, stress ball, candy canes and restaurant gift cards are also included in the bags, all possible from donations from community members and area businesses.
Koshiol said those wishing to help could donate any time during the year, but as Christmas quickly approaches, she hopes others join in to help the program continue and grow, as said inflation has eaten up a significant portion of donations this year.
“Last year, we were very blessed, and we had $75 over,” she said. “And so I put in an extra $50, and we opened up a savings account in Christmas Magic’s name. So now they can donate directly to Christmas Magic at Commerce Bank here in Hays.”
And every donation helps keep the effort going.
“I just know that this has been that it's important for people not to be forgotten at Christmas,” Koshiol said. “These are people that oftentimes don't have a Christmas tree up. They’re all alone, they don't have a Christmas dinner.”
“With this bag, they can take a nice hot shower with a good shampoo and put good lotion on and a nice pair of socks and sit in front of their TV and eat a cookie and have a hot meal from McDonald's…play a game of solitaire or do a crossword puzzle. Hopefully, if they have an itch, they can reach it. Hopefully, we have the bases covered and a smile on their face because we even hang a Christmas ornament on the bag.”
While she continues to champion Christmas Magic, she attributes the result to a higher power.
“There is no rhyme or reason that it happened to begin with,” Koshiol said. “There is no rhyme or reason that it works. It shouldn't. It shouldn't be able to happen. That it works every year is crazy. It's Christmas Magic.”