With a few extra days off because of the holiday season, a half foot of snow on the ground and no interest in walking store aisles, I found myself flipping through YouTube videos on my smart TV. I came across a series of Secret Santa videos shot in small towns in eastern Idaho. Townspeople submitted letters recommending someone to a secret wealthy benefactor who selected certain nominated people for Secret Santa visits. As my heart has not yet turned completely to stone, I’ve enjoyed watching them.
A local news station produces the videos and the same reporter surprises the chosen people with the gifts. The reporter does a fine job, tactfully drawing out the recipient’s hardship story and dealing with the emotional responses. The anonymous benefactor started three years ago with $200,000, raising it to $250,000 last year and upping the gift budget to $500,000 this year. These videos are uplifting, the recipients’ relief and gratitude are real and I’ve dabbed a tear more than once. Yet, after a couple dozen videos, I felt uneasy.
From the outdoor shots, I saw that these eastern Idaho neighborhoods looked like mine. The streets were lined with vinyl-sided three or four bedroom homes, a car or two in the drive, paved streets, clean yards. The gift recipients were people I’d know; a high school counselor, a school cafeteria worker, a hospital clerk, a widowed retiree. Those not elderly or physically disabled had “good” jobs, working class jobs. All were in crisis from a life event such as the loss of a spouse and the accompanying income reduction; medical costs from a child’s illness; personal illness or physical disability. Reliable transportation was a huge issue. About half the recipients received new cars. Quite a few shed tears, some bent at the waist when receiving the cashier checks, the car keys, the gift certificates.
I wondered how the lifeline for these townspeople was the random selection by, and gifts from, a single wealthy donor living in their community. A living wage and universal healthcare would relieve at least half the distressed people in our communities. I applaud the generosity of the donor and the work of the reporter and news station, but how can this be?
Most of you reading this, like myself, lead comfortable lives. Most of us can absorb a financial hit like a broken appliance or a failing automobile. I think of how small the steps are to pay a living wage and to provide universal healthcare to lift a huge chunk of deserving people out of stressful, crippling situations. I recognize how high the hurdles are to make these small steps. I think of our system that allows four men to have the wealth of 150,000,000 people. Or several small towns reliant on one wealthy person to pull them from personal crisis.
Our economic system needs changing. Secret Santas aren’t the answer.