Woman brings Christmas to typhoon Harvey victims.

Kind Hearted Woman From Alabama Gave Christmas Presents To Almost 200 Families Affected By Typhoon Harvey

Joy and happiness are the faces of Christmas. But others are finding difficulty in celebrating the most awaited holiday because of devastating unstoppable events that we encounter. Still, there are people who are kind enough to think of others and help those who needed a boost this holiday season./p>

Just like this woman in Alabama. She is helping bring Christmas to nearly 200 families in the typhoon Harvey-stricken Houston area through a holiday adoption group she started on Facebook.

Courtney Adams, 33, a mother of three, watched in despair from thousands of miles away in Auburn as parts of her hometown of Kingwood, Texas, flooded when Hurricane Harvey struck southeastern Texas last August. She felt “helpless” at the moment and prayed to figure out how she could help.

Courtney Adams with family.

So she started a Facebook group, Holidays for Harvey, with the idea of matching people from across the country with families in need in the Houston area.

Luckily, people responded. One of the first to volunteer was Lori Martin, a mother of three from Pennsylvania who is friends with Adams but did not have a direct connection to Houston.

Martin and her family volunteered to provide Christmas for a husband and wife and their 17-year-old daughter whose home was hit by Harvey.

Lori Martin and her family donated Christmas presents to a family affected by Hurricane Harvey.

“The mom said she and her husband wanted nothing and they just wanted a nice day for their daughter,” said Martin, who purchased gift cards for the teen and is surprising her parents with gifts too. “I wrapped everything that I got individually because there is something special about opening a present on Christmas morning.”

Rachel Nicholson and her family will have presents to open on Christmas morning too, thanks to Adams. She is a childhood friend of Courtney, gave birth to her third son just days before Harvey hit. She and her baby and two young sons had to be evacuated by boat as the first floor of their home flooded.

Nicholson and her family have been living in a rental home, relying on their savings, until their home is rebuilt.

Rachel Nicholson, of Kingwood, Texas.

“All of our money is used to rebuild our house, and the last thing you think about is presents,” said Nicholson. “Our boys deserve a Christmas and a home and not being displaced. I don’t want what happened to affect their memories of Christmas.”

Courtney took Nicholson’s sons’ Christmas wish lists and had the gifts delivered to the family’s door.

Adams was helped by two friends in Auburn who volunteered their time to help to do the Christmas movement. Together, the three women have arranged Christmas for 188 families in the Houston area, totaling 620 kids and 1,045 family members.

Robinn Graves and her children pose with Santa Claus.

Robinn Graves’ family includes five of those 620 kids. They were evacuated with her husband and five children from their Porter, Texas, home in a rescue truck when water began to rise into the home's first floor.

They got back into their house a few days after Harvey struck, and have been living in a construction zone ever since, with all their time and money going toward rebuilding.

“We have lots of Christmas traditions, and we’ve had to cut back on what we can do, both financially and time-wise,” said Graves. “We’ve had to spend all our time on the house, and it’s taken a lot away from our family and the kids.” Graves’ family was paired with a woman in New Jersey who is providing Christmas gifts for all five kids, ranging in age from 2 to 17. The woman sent a pre-lit Christmas tree and gave the Graves a sign of hope.

Robinn provided her kids’ wish lists -- which included items like a lamp and books for the older kids and a broom for the 2-year-old, who watches her parents clean the house and wanted to help -- and the presents are due to arrive next week.

Robinn Graves' children look at the Christmas tree that was gifted to them by a woman in New Jersey.

“Without her, Christmas would have been over for a minute, she's a blessing,” Graves said.

"To see the families that are supported and to hear how something so simple can bring so much to them, it’s just a good reminder that less is more," said Courtney.

Thanks to everyone who helped bring Christmas to those who needed it most!

“The Christmas spirit will elude you 'til a selfless love consumes you and the joy of giving moves you.”

- Richelle E. Goodrich