With COVID-19 still raging Massachusetts First Lady Lauren Baker knows it will be a difficult holiday season for most.
"This is hard on us, just like it's hard on everybody," she told NBC10 Boston. "We miss hanging out with our family and friends. I haven't been able to see my parents in a year."
But Baker said her spirits have been lifted by her work with the Wonderfund, a private nonprofit that provides children engaged with the state Department of Children and Families with everything from clothing and comfort items to opportunities to play sports or get tutored.
"It's my primary initiative as First Lady, but more it's a personal project for me," she said.
A hallmark of the Wonderfund is its holiday gift drive, which provides a donated gift to every child in DCF care -- 50,000 gifts last year alone.
"It's an opportunity for all of us to bring joy and laughter into the lives of children who endured a lot of tough stuff in their lives," Baker said.
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The logistics of getting gifts to the kids safely is proving to be a lot more challenging this year due to the pandemic. So the Wonderfund is asking for gift cards instead.
"Being able to focus on those silver linings really is special," Baker said. "And so when you reach out and uplift someone else, it is greater to you than you could ever imagine."
For more information or to donate to the Wonderfund, click here.
