479 Utah kids still waiting for holiday aid

It may not be much more than a winter coat and a good pair of shoes, perhaps an outfit and a toy or two, but thousands of Utah children will have a present to open this Christmas morning because of the generosity of others.

But hundreds more are waiting for Christmas help.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 442 Utahns had signed up to sponsor more than 3,000 children through the Sub for Santa program, overseen by the United Way of Salt Lake and Volunteers of America. That's 42 more sponsors than Monday afternoon when the United Way put out an urgent call for additional help.

"It is an improvement, yet we have a long way to go," the United Way's Marti Money said.

By late Tuesday, 479 children still remained unsponsored. The United Way asks that sponsors spend $50 per child to buy children necessities such as a winter coat and boots, as well as a small toy or other clothing.

"We have also started to receive some cash, which is closing that gap and is very appreciated, so every child can have a gift to open on Christmas morning," Money said.

Cami Stauffer has been a Sub for Santa sponsor for several years, influenced by childhood memories of watching her parents save money throughout the year to provide a happy for Christmas for their children.

"I just want to do the same for the little kids, because I know that they have expectations of Santa Claus coming," the Sandy woman, 27, said.

Stauffer and her husband, Anthon, delivered their gifts last week — mostly winter clothes and other necessities the children's parents said their little ones needed.

"One of the most important things to me is to make sure that they're warm and have what they need," Stauffer said.

Applications for the program jumped 55 percent this year, raising the number of families in need of holiday assistance from 772 in 2004 to 1,138 this year.

Money is unable to attribute the increase to any one factor but says numbers have grown steadily in the past three years and are expected to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

"We don't see this decreasing at this point. We expect that we will need to continue this program into the future," she said. "And it is only brought about through the generosity of sponsors. It really does touch the lives of our community's most vulnerable citizens."

The United Way's Sub for Santa program accepts applications during the first two weeks of December, after other holiday assistance programs have closed down.

The Stauffers sponsor several families each year, and expect to do so for many years to come — especially as their 4-month-old daughter, Saige, grows up and can participate in bringing the spirit of Christmas to others.

"The lessons that you can teach your kids are priceless," Cami Stauffer said.

To sponsor a child or donate to the United Way's Sub for Santa program, call 801-363-9414, Ext. 110, or visit www.uw.org.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com