Local Charity Makes Christmas Happen For 90 Stone County Kids
January 9, 2020
Tom Harrier, left, is pictured with his daughter, Caitlin, in 2017, after they delivered gifts to a family with four children. That year, Harrier’s charity, Santa’s Secret Helpers, purchased and delivered gifts to 25 Stone County children. This Christmas, the group gave to 90 children throughout the county, including to young teenagers in the Crane area for the first time.
Isaac Estes-Jones
A Stone County charity got some welcome recognition at the January 6 meeting of the Crane Board of Aldermen. Tom Harrier, an officer with Crane PD, also runs a charity called “Santa’s Secret Helpers.” The group, founded in 2016, bought Christmas presents for six children the first year. For the 2019 Christmas season, they were able to purchase gifts for 90 Stone County children in need, including several older children that are sometimes forgotten when it comes to Christmas.
“This was the fourth year,” Harrier said. “We started in 2016 when we recognized the need to help out children for Christmas, so they could have some type of Christmas. We budget $50 per child and we helped six kids that first year,” he said.
Part of the goal of the group is to bridge the gap between law enforcement, fire fighters and other first responders and the communities they serve. These helpers are the ones who deliver the presents to the families ahead of Christmas each year.
Beyond that connection between those most in need and first responders, Harrier has set up the group in a way so that donors are able to sponsor individual children, and, if possible, receive a picture of the child with the gifts the donor provided. This is not always possible, but the secret Facebook group for the charity is filled with photos of smiling children and comments from the numerous donors who have helped out.
The first year, Harrier said he reached out to Reeds Spring school to get a list of students in need. By the third year, when funds provided for 40 children, Harrier said he spoke to Reeds Spring and Galena schools to compile the list.
2019 was the first year the group was able to help students in the Crane School District. “It was their idea to help out with older kids, age 12 to 14 or so, that sometimes get left out when it comes to Christmas stuff like this,” he said.
“One thing I noticed,” said Police Chief John Elmore, “is some of the older kids really appreciate this for the younger kids.”
To find out how to donate to Santa’s Secret Helpers, email santassecrethelpers2014@gmail.com or contact Tom Harrier.
“The generosity is tremendous,” Harrier said. Part of the major growth this year, from 40 to 90 children, was because of the donations from a local mother and son, along with major donations from a business and a bank in the Branson West/Kimberling City region of the county and from an area church.
“There were almost 20 kids in one household, that was featured in the KY3 story,” he said. “A grandfather raising 19 kids and grand kids in one small home.” According to Harrier, the group was also able to donate groceries for that household.
Another group benefitting from the charity are teenagers in the local group home. These are children placed by the state in a different setting due, usually, to instabilities at home. Because of the donations received, Harrier’s charity was able to buy presents for these children who probably would not have had anything otherwise. They also took the kids living in the group home out to lunch.
Harrier is not alone in doing the work for this charity, however. He said there were about a dozen volunteers who went shopping for the recipients and around 20 people who volunteered to help wrap presents ahead of delivering them. Around 40 people and businesses donated this year.
“This is a feel good story,” Harrier said. “There are a lot of kids in Stone County that need this. We are going to keep going and keep growing,” Harrier said.
A Stone County charity got some welcome recognition at the January 6 meeting of the Crane Board of Aldermen. Tom Harrier, an officer with Crane PD, also runs a charity called “Santa’s Secret Helpers.” The group, founded in 2016, bought Christmas presents for six children the first year. For the 2019 Christmas season, they were able to purchase gifts for 90 Stone County children in need, including several older children that are sometimes forgotten when it comes to Christmas.
“This was the fourth year,” Harrier said. “We started in 2016 when we recognized the need to help out children for Christmas, so they could have some type of Christmas. We budget $50 per child and we helped six kids that first year,” he said.
Part of the goal of the group is to bridge the gap between law enforcement, fire fighters and other first responders and the communities they serve. These helpers are the ones who deliver the presents to the families ahead of Christmas each year.
Beyond that connection between those most in need and first responders, Harrier has set up the group in a way so that donors are able to sponsor individual children, and, if possible, receive a picture of the child with the gifts the donor provided. This is not always possible, but the secret Facebook group for the charity is filled with photos of smiling children and comments from the numerous donors who have helped out.
The first year, Harrier said he reached out to Reeds Spring school to get a list of students in need. By the third year, when funds provided for 40 children, Harrier said he spoke to Reeds Spring and Galena schools to compile the list.
2019 was the first year the group was able to help students in the Crane School District. “It was their idea to help out with older kids, age 12 to 14 or so, that sometimes get left out when it comes to Christmas stuff like this,” he said.
“One thing I noticed,” said Police Chief John Elmore, “is some of the older kids really appreciate this for the younger kids.”
To find out how to donate to Santa’s Secret Helpers, email santassecrethelpers2014@gmail.com or contact Tom Harrier.
“The generosity is tremendous,” Harrier said. Part of the major growth this year, from 40 to 90 children, was because of the donations from a local mother and son, along with major donations from a business and a bank in the Branson West/Kimberling City region of the county and from an area church.
“There were almost 20 kids in one household, that was featured in the KY3 story,” he said. “A grandfather raising 19 kids and grand kids in one small home.” According to Harrier, the group was also able to donate groceries for that household.
Another group benefitting from the charity are teenagers in the local group home. These are children placed by the state in a different setting due, usually, to instabilities at home. Because of the donations received, Harrier’s charity was able to buy presents for these children who probably would not have had anything otherwise. They also took the kids living in the group home out to lunch.
Harrier is not alone in doing the work for this charity, however. He said there were about a dozen volunteers who went shopping for the recipients and around 20 people who volunteered to help wrap presents ahead of delivering them. Around 40 people and businesses donated this year.
“This is a feel good story,” Harrier said. “There are a lot of kids in Stone County that need this. We are going to keep going and keep growing,” Harrier said.