GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — For the past decade a group of volunteers in the Grand Haven area have been ensuring no family goes without Christmas gifts through their organization called the Christmas Project.
WATCH: Grand Haven neighbors spread Christmas joy through 'Christmas Project'
Carole Wexstaff and her volunteers have helped make Christmas happen for a number of area families every year. Every year, Carole says that number increases, something she says hits close to home.
"Years ago when my daughter was little and I was a single mom and I needed help there was very little help out there," Wexstaff said. "So, when this opportunity came up I was like yeah. It's for the kids to get up and to see presents underneath the tree. It's very special."
Families are nominated by the community and each family's gifts are paid for by local businesses and neighbors, with the gifts being sent out just ahead of Christmas.
"It was just fun to see their faces and to see them light up," Danny Young said.
Paul Goosen's business has been the Christmas Project's headquarters for the past seven years, packing it with gifts to send out to around 100 families annually.
"One of the people that was sponsored that needed help, she recently had become a single mother and it was probably about four years later that she started sponsoring other families. To me that hit home," Goosen said.
"There's a lot of loading and unloading and everybody helps out," Goosen explained. "I'm pretty much the massive coordinator to make sure everything comes in and gets tagged where it has to go and gets setup. I'm like the head elf."
Whether you're the head elf or the man himself, sometimes all it takes to create Christmas magic is neighbors helping neighbors.
"It's just amazing what our community does," Goosen said.
"We have a wonderful community that's got a big giving heart," Wexstaff said.
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