A Very Merry and Blessed Christmas

Merry Christmas to all.

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A Christmas rescue story
Hope Fund contribution arrives in time to make the holiday merry
By PAUL GRONDAHL, Staff writer
Published 08:15 p.m., Saturday, December 24, 2011

ALBANY — A charitable organization with good intentions fell far short of the number of children's Christmas toys it promised to purchase for Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region.

As a result, it was shaping up to be a super-sad Sunday morning with a lack of presents under the Christmas tree for dozens of impoverished kids whose families rely on Trinity to make the holiday bright.

Harris Oberlander, Trinity's CEO, managed to rescue Christmas for the kids by purchasing dozens of toys for children ages 3 through 9 at the last minute after a $5,000 check arrived last week from the Times Union Hope Fund..................>>>>...................>>>>...............Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/A-Christmas-rescue-story-2424037.php#ixzz1hYCjUl7N

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Abandoned Mystery 'Baby Noel' Miraculously Survives
By Christina Ng | ABC News Blogs – Sat, Dec 24, 2011 7:44 AM EST


Abandoned Mystery 'Baby Noel' Miraculously Survives (ABC News)

In what appears to be a Christmas miracle, a five-hour old baby girl abandoned in a cardboard box on a Philadelphia sidewalk was discovered and rescued after almost being mistaken for trash.
Today, the baby dubbed "Baby Noel" by police and nurses is in stable condition at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, but her identity remains a mystery.
"She's in really good condition. We're very fortunate with the timing, weather and the church finding the baby," Philadelphia Police spokesman Ray Evers told ABCNews.com. "We had a lot of things that fell into place. If it was any closer, the baby would have been thrown out with the trash. It was scary close."...................>>>>...............>>>>...............http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc.....vives-173424896.html

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Fire victims get early Christmas thanks to local firefighters
Reported by: Katherine Underwood Email: katherineunderwood@fox23news.com          
Print Story Published: 12/24 9:02 pm Share Updated: 12/24 10:42 pm



It’s a Christmas one East Greenbush family will never forget.
They're spending the holiday in a hotel this year, after fire damaged their home a couple weeks ago.

But on Christmas Eve, Santa teamed up with some local firefighters to turn things around.

It must have been one of Santa’s first stops this year.

He was able to find the Lewis family who has been living in a hotel since fire ripped through their Maryland Avenue home earlier this month....................>>>>..................>>>>................http://www.fox23news.com/news/.....Tglb20gA.cspx?rss=39

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Lost last month, blind dog gets home for Christmas
AP – 14 hrs ago


In this Dec. 23, 2011 photo, Belinda Gutierrez sits with her blind dog, Stevie Oedipus …
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A blind dog that was lost and believed to be dead is reunited with his San Antonio family for Christmas, thanks to Craigslist, a school teacher and an animal care agency.
Nearly a month after Stevie Oedipus Wonder disappeared — and was reported dead — the cairn terrier mix puppy is home for the holiday, the San Antonio Express-News reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/unONGF .)
"This is my Christmas miracle," Stevie's owner Belinda Gutierrez said. "I actually thought I was going to have a sad end of the year and a sad Christmas.".....................>>>>..................>>>>..................http://news.yahoo.com/lost-last-month-blind-dog-gets-home-christmas-204848407.html

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Santas Inspire Children Who Have Lost It All
First Posted: 12/23/11 08:40 AM ET        Updated: 12/23/11 08:40 AM ET
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For the more than 16 million children living in poverty, climbing onto Santa Claus' lap isn't about the "ho, ho, hos" and asking for a shiny new iPod. Children wishing for shoes that fit and the possibility of moving out of a van are focused on looking into Santa's eyes and finding a reason to believe that they have a chance at a better life.

For the graduates of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, the 74-year-old institution that's been dubbed "the Harvard" of Santa schools, they know what it means to embody the figure of Santa. They don't slip into the red velour suit to offer a child a quick fix. They take on the role to try to lift youngsters out of despair, even just for a moment, and into a space where they can hope that sometime soon, they won't have to worry about their next meal, and they can just be kids.

Meet three Super Santas who have committed their holiday season to fulfilling that mission -- to giving children who have lost nearly everything a chance to believe in the miracles of the holiday season again..................>>>>....................>>>>................http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/23/santa-claus-_n_1166403.html?ref=impact