Orphanage needs help bringing Christmas to foster kids after Hurricane Helene

CONCORD, N.C. — Home for the holidays is taking on a much bigger meaning this year at the Church of God Children’s Home in Concord.

The orphanage caters to children in North Carolina who come from difficult situations.

“They come to us with a little garbage bag, black trash bag, like containing everything they’ve ever owned, and they stand at the door of their new bedrooms,” said Ella Pepper, the activities director with Church of God. “Our kids come from a lot of trauma, a lot of abuse, a lot of neglect.”

Hurricane Helene also caused an influx of kids needing homes. The Church of God Children’s Home is at capacity, and in order to take more kids in, they need more space.

“The walls have faced a lot of what I call love from the children,” Pepper told Channel 9′s Hannah Goetz.

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Pepper and Mark Dale with Providence Restoration walked Goetz through a cottage on campus that they’re hoping to restore, but they need your help.

“I hope they come in and there’s a sense of relief, a feeling, a sense of calmness and coziness, and a full heart,” Dale said.

On Dec. 20, they hope to take the old cottage and make it look and feel as cozy as another one down the road. In this cottage, instead of holes and chipped paint there are stuffed animals, colorful bedding, and the glow of Christmas lights filling the rooms.

“You can see their personalities in here, I love it so much,” Pepper said.

But no home is complete during the holidays without gifts under the tree on Christmas. It’s a new concept for many of the kids.

“One of the little girls put on her Christmas wishlist ‘A cup to drink water from,’” Pepper said. “When I saw that, I was like, ‘Honey, that is a given.’ I had her sit down with me in front of the computer and I said, ‘Look, you can ask for a scooter, you can ask for an iPad ... and she sat there and she was like, ‘Oh, for me?’ and I was like, ‘Yes,’ and that’s part of helping them dream bigger.”

You can see those big dreams on their website. Each child has a Christmas list -- Nalia, for example, wants a princess dress-up kit, Hello Kitty mirror, and an Elsa doll -- but Pepper worries the dreams may be hard to meet this year.

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“We’re struggling even to fulfill the kids’ wishlists, which I’ve never seen before,” Pepper said.

In the final few weeks leading to Christmas, the non-profit children’s home is asking the community to help give a gift with a much deeper meaning.

“It is so much deeper than like, ‘Oh, you know, Jane wants a teddy bear.’ It’s Jane wants to be able to trust people around her. So yeah, it’s a lot of weight,” Pepper said.

If you’d like to help with building the cottage, they are in great need of painters and flooring.

If you’d like to help make a child’s Christmas dream come true, you can do it in person at the Church of God’s site in Concord, or online at this link.

(VIDEO: How the Carolina Panthers Christmas Tree survived Hurricane Helene)