By stufflovely
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If we are lucky, most of us remember that special person from our school days who made us feel like we really mattered: the English teacher who raised every child’s voice to be heard and recognized; the math teacher who made sure that no student who made a real effort missed their turn; the coach who instilled compassion and discipline; the principal who established a food pantry to help alleviate the food insecurity of her most vulnerable students.
Indianapolis preschool principal Renee Dixon is a shining example of this class of exemplary educators. In the months leading up to Christmas, Dixon took it upon himself to ensure that the 50 children who attend the Lynhurst Baptist Church preschool had the guarantee of Santa’s visit.
To make this happen, Dixon took a weekend job, logging in hour after hour driving Uber and Lyft riders to their various destinations. It’s not the first time he’s done it, but this year, he also made sure to keep the proper COVID-19 protocol up to date at all times.
Dixon’s motivation was simple: Growing up the daughter of a low-income, single-parent family, she knew firsthand what it would feel like without her. With many already struggling, he knew that the 2020 pandemic meant that many parents would be paying bills instead of buying gifts.
“Many of our families do not have money to receive Christmas gifts this year. Some parents have lost their jobs, others have had their wages cut, ”Dixon told The Washington Post. “Many of them already come from low-income families and are below the poverty line.”
Eva Cheung, who works with Dixon’s husband, offered time and money to help Dixon shop. The two took Target by storm. “… We walked the aisles, tossing presents in the cart. It was pure joy, ”Cheung said. “She was very kind and appreciative, and she told me what happened.
“You read about people like Renee, but when you can finally connect with someone like that and help fulfill their vision, it’s an incredible feeling.”
In all, Dixon not only raised enough money to give gifts to his students, but he also had enough left over to get something for his brothers and Christmas bonuses for his staff.
For Dixon, the spirit of generosity has always been its own reward, but he shared what he had been doing with the passengers, who recorded his inspiring conversation, and on the path of the modern world, one thing led to another. Local history went national and donations started pouring in.
But when a little bird told Pat Hurst, general manager of the Andy Mohr Nissan dealership in Avon that the only thing on Dixon’s wish list was a Nissan Armada with enough room to accommodate his children and grandchildren, he decided that the change it was more than fair play. for this hometown of Santa.
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“We couldn’t be happier to give her her Christmas present,” Hurst said. KENS-5 News.
Dixon was stunned and extremely grateful. “I needed something in my life… So, like everyone else, I needed that little spark that there are people who still care. That lets you know that everything is going to be okay, ”said Dixon, who, even after losing three family members to COVID this year, had managed to stay on track and fulfill her gift-giving mission.
Although no one who knows her was in the least surprised.
“Everyone always told me I have a big heart,” Dixon said. WTHR-13. “I said, ‘No, I love children.’
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If, in the end, it is as L. Frank Baum wrote in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ – “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but because of how much others love you ”, for those who are blessed by Renee Dixon’s special magic, they will never find it missing.
(WATCH the KENS 5 video for Renee’s story below).
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