Santa's Workshop Manufactures Christmas Spirit in Hampton

Santa's Workshop Manufactures Christmas Spirit in Hampton

Grassroots effort snowballs

P1: The Garcia family consisting of from left, Greg, Father Tony of Tony’s Concrete, little sister Geovanna, older sister Grace and mother Liliana La Valle have a special surprise planned for little shoppers on the day of Santa’s Workshop. 

Lisa Rodriguez has received an avalanche of support for her plan to revive the Christmas Store children’s shopping experience in Hampton the first weekend in December, with offers of assistance pouring in to help her get the retooled event known now as Santa’s Workshop off the ground. The rebranded event seeks to revive a children’s shopping event that traditionally happened in Hampton the first weekend in December but quietly fell by the wayside in the recent past.  

Rodriguez said she has been overwhelmed by the offers of assistance and stories of the experiences of both children and adults whose lives have been touched by involvement with the shopping event. The project, which has become a joint effort between Lisa and the communities, with assistance from the Chamber, has secured thirteen vendors from Hampton for the event planned on Saturday Dec 2nd, and fourteen-fifteen for the event planned in Sheffield for Saturday Dec 9th.

Volunteers and vendors have been offering assistance freely, and Lisa has been prospecting as well, picking up some in Sheffield from a craft show that she attended there recently. Down Hampton way, Lisa said she’s working mightily to keep track of it all but feels “like we’ve got pretty much everything covered, I hope.” 

The plan in Hampton is for Lisa to start setting up Friday morning, Dec 1st in the basement of First Bank Hampton, the space designated and donated for the event in town. Rodriguez will be setting up for the businesses that plan to participate but may not be able to help with the set-up of their “shop” at First bank for the Workshop. Ready by that time will be a gift bag for each child, assembled at Center 1 on Wednesday prior. 

As a result of generous donations, every child that attends will receive a goody bag, 350 await, movie tickets passed out by a certain theatre manager in town, and potentially cash the children of one local family will circulate among the throng passing out bills to shoppers to help them make purchases in an exercise the parents hope will be a lesson in power of giving as opposed to receiving. Apples, oranges, candies, cookies, juice and peanuts will also be given out freely, as well as “random gifts the kids don’t even know they are getting.”. 

Jessica Kothenbeutel is one Hampton parent who is looking forward to taking a third child through the pop-up shop. Jessica’s two older children really enjoyed the event in the past and she remarked that the family still cherishes several of the items the kids bought there. She’s now eager for a third child to have the experience. Jessica says of her older children that “they were so excited to go, they loved it,” and “really had fun choosing something, wrapping it and bringing it home,” and her third now, “is really excited and can’t wait,” until December 2nd to come, adding she was glad Lisa was bringing the event back. 

On the day of the event Lisa says, kids will go through, shop, get their gifts wrapped, get some snacks, see Santa and Mrs. Claus, get handed a gift bag stuffed full from Santa, and “out the door they’ll go” and only once departed will they be able to take stock of what they received at Santa’s Workshop.

Pledges of assistance have also been received from Continental Wholesale, The Garcia family, Dollar Fresh, McDonalds, JT Machine & Tool, Willie’s, 805 Pizza, and others, promising a full list soon. She said “everybody is kind of pulling together. There are so many people that want to do something and want to help. It’s just amazing and fun and overwhelming and exciting.” Adding she, “Can’t wait to see the kids walk out with their things and their little faces beaming with pride and joy, so excited for Christmas day for their family to open up those gifts, because that’s what it’s all about.”

Santa’s Workshop will be held at First Bank in Hampton Dec 2nd from 9 am to 10:45 am, followed by the second Santa’s Workshop the next Saturday, the 9th, from 9:45 am to 11:30 am in Sheffield at the West Fork Food Pantry.

Interested in being involved? You can be, as Lisa said they will take all the volunteers they can get. Just call Lisa at 641-512-9049, email her at lisais2tall@yahoo.com, or get ahold of Center 1 at 641-456-5668 to pitch in. .