True Meaning of Christmas Comes Alive After Influencer Asks People to Send Gifts to Care Home – RedState
The world is small, and sometimes it seems like we’re more disconnected than ever because of the sheer number of people who choose to live their lives perpetually online. This Christmas story, however, shows that connecting across the miles through technology can sometimes change lives, especially at this special time of year.
An online influencer asked people to make donations to the South Carolina assisted care facility where her mother-in-law lives (she has dementia). Then, the gifts started arriving… and I’m not talking about one or two:
A viral social media post from influencer Dugan Meredith sparked thousands of gifts for Kempton residents of Rock Hill, South Carolina, demonstrating a remarkable act of compassion and community generosity.
…
Meredith, who has 800,000 followers on her Taking Care of Granny Facebook and TikTok pages, made a heartfelt request for a holiday aimed at bringing joy to assisted living residents, especially her mother-in-law who lives with dementia.
You read correctly, thousands of gifts pouring in from the US and across the Atlantic to the UK, including almost 200 in one shipping box! The KIRO 7 report linked above reported:
The response to Meredith’s request was overwhelming; thousands of gifts were sent to Kempton from Rock Hill, including 181 packages delivered in a single Amazon box.
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And what was the reaction of the residents of the retirement home? Deep gratitude. Then the most wonderful thing happened, readers. They were so impressed by the generosity that during the school’s Christmas party, they distributed excess gifts to other members of the community.
The great donations didn’t stop there, however, as many gifts were directed to local non-profit organizations. Recipients of the goodwill of complete strangers across the country and abroad have allowed them to receive the gift of making massive donations themselves this Christmas season!
The seniors, grateful for this outpouring of kindness, decided to pay it forward by delivering gifts to local non-profit organizations on December 23.
Watch:
🚨#BREAKING: A South Carolina man whose grandmother lives in an assisted living facility sent a plea on social media, asking for gifts for those who were alone in the nursing home for Christmas.
The staff were stunned when THOUSANDS of gifts, sent from all over the world, arrived at… pic.twitter.com/MeqnwtCSsc
–Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) December 26, 2025
They used the assisted living community’s shuttle to deliver goody bags that seniors made from unsolicited gifts to a homeless charity. KIRO 7 added that “the Casual Pint Crafty Girls, a group that regularly visits Kempton residents,” volunteered to help round them up. And knowing that other seniors living in nursing homes like theirs could use some comfort this Christmas, they brought gifts to four other communities, including a memory care facility.
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The story resonates with so many people (including me) since we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who gave us the perfect gift – Himself – so that He could redeem us on the Cross. In other words, that true meaning of Christmas, giving to others, had the opportunity to come to life. Below you will find the teaching of the Bible from which it is taken.
Beginning with Matthew 22:34 and continuing through Matthew 22:40 NKJV, the Pharisees decided to test Jesus by asking him about the 10 commandments brought down from the mountain by Moses, which were the first to follow to stay in the law. Here’s how he responded, from 37:
Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.
The Christmas spirit is alive and well, readers. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance to all of you!
[Editor’s Note: This article was edited for clarity after publication.]
Editor’s Note: At RedState, it’s not just about politics and politics. We love calling attention to what’s good in the world through cultural stories like this and with weekly columns like “Feel-Good Friday,” “Start Your Weekend Right” and “Hoge’s Heroes.”
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