The spirit of Christmas

By Barbara S. Miller
Staff Writer
It always seems to snow when Jessica Parham and her family transfer a couple of carloads of children’s gifts to a van operated by a Washington County Children and Youth Services caseworker.
Monday was no exception.
But even wintry weather can’t mask the warmth behind Jessica’s efforts.
Jessica, 17, a senior at Peters Township High School, has raised between $1,000 and $2,000 each year for the past several Christmases, using the money to buy gifts for children who are in CYS placement.
Caseworker Rebecca Hunter explained the term “in CYS placement” refers to children who are in institutions, other facilities or at home with a parent or parents with CYS monitoring the family.
Her father, Bill Parham, called the Washington County Children and Youth Services one year, explained what Jessica wanted to do, and found himself connected to Hunter.
And unlike Santa, Jessica never knows if the recipients are naughty or nice.
In fact, she never gets to know them at all.
“We can’t even meet the kids due to confidentiality,” Jessica said.
Until last February, Jessica was simply an anonymous donor. Word of her efforts spread, however, when she won a “Character Counts” award from the community-based organization in Peters Township and was recognized by the Washington County commissioners.
Why does she do this? “I just wanted to give back to the community,” she said.
She collects door to door and has involved her parents and their co-workers. Her mother, Celia Parham, a district merchant for Macy’s department store, has team members who decided to contribute by purchasing gifts for one of the youngsters on the CYS list, which is made up this year of young fire victims.
“It’s just amazing, when you start talking about it to different people, the support you get,” Celia Parham said.
Jessica was taken aback that the children’s needs were so basic: shoes, coats, hair dryers and makeup.
“Last year, the kids wanted toys,” she said.
Hunter was touched that a teenager would take on such a project.
“She must have an amazing family,” said Hunter, who wrote on Jessica’s behalf for the Character Counts award. “She’s so humble and so sweet. She was so nervous to get up and blow her own horn. She told her family, ‘If you were going to give me a gift, give me money.’ So they donate to her cause.”
Jessica has signed a letter of intent to play golf at Youngstown (Ohio) State University and major in exercise science and pre-physical therapy. She hopes to continue her efforts next year, but she’s also been schooling a successor, her 11-year-old sister Alyssa, who helped her wrap presents this month.
Ask Alyssa if Jessica is like Santa and she’ll probably laugh at the comparison. When the question was posed, she then smiled and said thoughtfully, “For this, she is.”