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Charlie Russo

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Founder of Christmas Magic, Charlie Russo, far left, accepts a check on behalf of the charity.

By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

It is hard to believe that the holiday season 2024 is so fast approaching. As I write this column, it is still a week before Thanksgiving and the holiday lights are appearing everywhere. For college students, final exams are fast approaching. 

This has been a really challenging year for us as a nation. The election of our President brought out great divisiveness. The negativity was painful and the intense polarization was so infectious.

However, the mood is changing. Thanksgiving is upon us. It’s a time for building bridges, not walls. It’s a time to take pause and be profoundly grateful for all of our blessings. It’s a time for reaching out to our neighbors, even if we’ve disagreed with them. It’s a time for us to celebrate the greatness of our nation.

We should take a moment this holiday season to give thanks for what we have and build upon it in the new year.

Every year I am so impressed with my college students and what they do for others. My university students at St. Joseph’s are so generous with our Thanksgiving and Christmas projects that serve those in need. My Suffolk County Community College students are equally generous with their time and talent. They give so much during this wonderful season that it really makes a difference. I am so proud of them. They inspire me to stay the course and continue in higher education.

More than three decades ago, a young lawyer named Charlie Russo wanted to teach his children the real meaning of the Christmas season. It gave birth to a program that has grown tremendously known as Christmas Magic (christmasmagic.org). It reaches out to all of our children that must spend the Christmas season in our county homeless shelters.

Now more than 30 years later, the organization continues to inspire young people and adults from all over the county to give their time and talent during the holiday season. Hundreds of our high school students volunteer to wrap presents and volunteer as elves. A growing number of college students are also volunteering every holiday season to help and support the efforts of Christmas Magic. 

We also cannot forget the extreme generosity of our larger community who contribute money and presents so Christmas Magic can continue to touch the lives of thousands of little kids who are in our county homeless shelters.

By the time you read this column, you will be in the midst of celebrating this wonderful time of year, a time for love for peace and for gratitude. May this holiday season be a real blessing to all of you.

Father Francis Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.

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This year, Mount Sinai’s SADD club and nonprofit Holiday Magic team up to gather Christmas presents for needy children. Photos from John Wilson

Mount Sinai High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions club and Holiday Magic combined for their 21st year as a team devoted to making the holidays magical for children across Suffolk County.

Holiday Magic, headed by local attorney Charlie “Santa” Russo, is a nonprofit organization that dedicates itself to making the holidays special for less fortunate children and their families. This year, Holiday Magic received gift requests from nearly 14,000 children on Long Island. On Dec. 6, with 54 Santa lists in hand and $4,000 in cash from Holiday Magic, the SADD students took a sleigh donated by the First Student bus company to Walmart and the Smith Haven Mall in search of the requested gifts. With the help of a donated truck from RTI Trucking, the gifts were delivered to their very own “North Pole” for wrapping.

As always, SADD’s goal is to show these children that the community does care, which in the future will hopefully prevent them from making “destructive decisions.” Making this year’s shopping event even more special was that Mount Sinai High once again opened its doors to host the holiday dinner for the children we had shopped for and their families. The dinner, which took place Dec. 12, fed over 80 people in a holiday themed cafeteria at the high school.  Many of the SADD members played with the children or dressed in holiday themed costumes.  SADD members escorted Santa into party to the delight of some eagerly awaiting kids, who were each given gifts from their Santa lists.

The group was once again joined by Mount Sinai graduate, SADD alumni and now Mount Sinai teacher, Gabriella Conceicao. Gabby is a leave replacement at the Middle School by day and a guest elf at night.

Mount Sinai teacher John Wilson, who is co-club advisor alongside John McHugh, said he hopes to continue this tradition with Gabby every year. A magical part of the night was when SADD presented Holiday Magic with a check for $7,000 from the proceeds of the 2019 Turkey Trot.

“It’s simply magic when we can return what we borrowed plus donate thousands more back,” Wilson said.

Those looking to donate to Holiday Magic can visit www.holidaymagicli.org.

Next year will be the schools 22nd anniversary of SADD’s and Holiday Magic’s annual teamup.

 

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A child receives a present from Santa Claus at the Christmas Magic event on Dec. 6. Photo by Kevin Redding

By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

Father Frank Pizzarelli

Once again the holiday and Christmas season is upon us. For Christians, this is a season of hope. If we’ve ever needed hope it is right now.

The political landscape around the world is explosive. Violence, hate and human exploitation seem to be everywhere. At home, although economic prosperity is growing, respect for human rights and the diversity of people is at an all-time low.

Our elected leadership, at every level starting with Washington, is scandalously lacking. Our human discourse is a disgrace. It is a sad day in America when people with differing viewpoints have to deteriorate to name-calling and ad hominem attacks because they have differing opinions. What happened to rigorous debate ending in agreeing to respectfully disagree and remain friends?

This holiday season we have been painfully reminded of the abuse of power and the abuse and misuse of human beings especially the human exploitation, abuse and harassment of women.

What are we teaching our children? What life lessons are they learning? What happened to leading by example? It is shameful that those elected to public office have remained painfully silent when it comes to the disgraceful and abusive behavior especially from those who possess the ultimate power.

Despite all of this, we still celebrate the season of hope — the hope that change and transformation are possible; the hope that in most human beings there is a reservoir of compassion and goodness. I am fortunate in the midst of all this chaos to witness every day the magic of Christmas-simple, ordinary wounded people reaching out and touching others with love and goodness.

For more than three decades I have lived among the most broken among us. I continue to stand in awe as I watch these young men change and transform their lives and others.

Over 30 years ago, a young lawyer named Charlie Russo founded an organization, Christmas Magic, to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas for his children. Never did he think all these years later that a simple organization would ultimately become a powerful not-for-profit outreach that touches thousands of young children in our bi-county shelter system each Christmas.

It has also become a wellspring for thousands of volunteers who share their love at this time of year. It is a concrete reminder for all of us of what the real reason for the season is. Russo’s powerful example is an inspiration to all those who are privileged to know him.

Every year the residents of Hope House with whom I live participate voluntarily in Christmas Magic. To witness firsthand these wounded young men reaching out to the poorest of the poor among our children is a powerful life lesson.

Seeing these struggling young people interacting with little children, holding their hands, watching the children open up their Christmas presents from Santa, seeing the tears in their eyes as these little ones say thank you is probably among the best Christmas presents for which one could hope.

So despite a nation that has lost its way and a government that seems narcissistic, this is still the season of hope. The real miracle of Christmas is things can get better if you believe! I do believe! This holiday season let hope become the anthem of your soul!

Fr. Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.

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