Retired teacher, youth choir director give to Christmas Happiness in honor of her children
Published 12:00 am Friday, December 22, 2017
- Illustration by Mark Brincefield
SALISBURY — Becky Morris has been the organist at Christiana Lutheran Church for 25 years. She most recently added youth choir director to her roles.
The choir recently had a Christmas program, and Morris wanted to do something special for them.
This week, she made a $35 contribution to the Christmas Happiness Fund.
“I just love my church so much. They are just so special,” she said.
She said the choir members all worked so hard on the musical and she wanted to do something to honor them.
“I just have such a heart for kids,” she said.
Morris had taught in just about every public school in Rowan County until her retirement five years ago. She began teaching in 1973.
“Beyond the birth of Jesus, that is Christmas to me,” she said of watching the children perform.
She and her husband were not able to have children of their own, so they adopted their son from Romania. They now have four grandchildren, two of whom performed in the church musical.
“They are the joy of my life,” she said of her grandchildren.
Morris said she gave to the fund in hopes that the money would help some children have a better holiday.
“I don’t think people realize how many homeless kids there are and kids whose dads are in prison,” she said.
Morris said she really got a glimpse of the need for programs like the Christmas Happiness Fund after volunteering with the backpack program. Many schools have students who receive a backpack filled with food and other items that they may not otherwise receive at home.
Earlier this week, more than 1,000 children received gifts because of the Christmas Happiness Fund and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. Parents received a $35 gift card for each eligible child from the Christmas Happiness Fund and then were able to shop for gifts at Kmart.
Any donation given now will help with last-minute additional families and begin the fund for the next year.
Contributions to Christmas Happiness may be delivered to the Salisbury Post, 131 W. Innes St., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays or mailed to Salisbury Post Christmas Happiness Fund, P.O. Box 4639, Salisbury, NC 28145-4639. Make checks payable to Christmas Happiness Fund and indicate how you want your donation listed.
Today’s contributions are:
Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.
