Family Crisis Services Hosts Benefit “Milk n’ Cookies with Santa” Event

By Carson McKinney
Hottytoddy.com intern

Family Crisis Services of Northwest Mississippi held its 15th annual “Milk n’ Cookies with Santa” event at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Oxford Tuesday afternoon. Executive Director Lea Anne Griffin said the once small event has grown to provide almost 200 visitors every year with a variety of treats and activities.

Griffin said the event provides numerous activities for children. From balloon art to ornament making, children also enjoyed cookies donated by Insomnia Cookies and the Exchange Club of Oxford before having their picture made with Santa.

Family Crisis Services partnered with Addy Photography to hold the annual event. The event was first held in a conference room at the Oxford Chamber of Commerce, but a larger than expected turnout required the event to move to the Downtown Inn, now The Graduate, for several years. A member of Family Crisis Service’s board of directors is a staff member at St. John’s, so they offered to hold this year’s event.

“The money that we’re raising with ‘Milk n’ Cookies with Santa’ will go directly back to our services,” Griffin said. “This is our 15th year to do this event, and it’s been a way for us to give back to the community to have an event where you get something out of giving to us.”

Attorney Brooke Reeves of Frye-Reeves, PLLC in Oxford has volunteered for Family Crisis Services and their local events for three-and-a-half years. Reeves said Family Crises Services and their community outreach is beneficial to at-risk groups, especially children.

“A lot of the stuff Family Crisis deals with is not fun, but they try to have all of these events for kids throughout the year that are family related just to have some involvement,” Reeves said. “I think it’s so important for kids, especially those who might not have other events to go to throughout the year. If they know Family Crisis, then they always know about these events these kids might otherwise not get to do.”

On Tuesday’s “Milk n’ Cookies with Santa,” Reeves reprised her role of ‘Twinkles the Elf’ for the fourth time.

“Sometimes we have more than one elf, but I am Twinkles, the head elf, around here,” Reeves said. “It’s always a lot of fun, and I love being a volunteer.”

Through events like “Milk n’ Cookies with Santa,” Family Crisis Services witnesses a first hand account of the positive benefits of their usually difficult work.

“Sometimes we see families in such crisis that we don’t get to interact with families in a happy environment,” Griffin said. “For us, for our agency, and for our staff, we get to see families in a good environment, intact and enjoying each other versus in the midst of crisis.”