What was once a source of holiday sadness now inspires an Ellijay woman to fill stockings for single mothers at Christmastime.
Melody Parkhurst, who recently moved here, began that selfless task last year in her hometown of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. This year, she’s busy filling stockings again.
“I remembered the pain I felt over the years around the Christmas stocking,” Parkhurst said.
“I’m a single mom, so the first year I was divorced, I didn’t put anything in my stocking. My kids cried on Christmas Day because they thought Santa had forgotten me. The second year, they bought things for my stocking and cried, (still thinking) Santa had forgotten me.”
After finding a way to convince her two young kids that Santa had remembered to fill the stocking, there was still a problem Parkhurst hadn’t expected.
“The third year, I bought the stuff for my stocking myself. And I cried,” she said.
“If you have a neighbor who’s a single mom, it might not have occurred to you that a Christmas stocking could be a point of pain, but it can be.”
Parkhurst posted her intent to fill Christmas stockings for single mothers on Facebook last year. The post went viral and attracted several helpers eager to stuff or purchase items to go in the stockings.
A total of 150 stockings were filled and distributed to single moms in Fort Walton Beach and Gwinnett County, where Parkhurst also previously lived.
“We do (things like) bath bombs, fuzzy socks, tea, hot cocoa, lotion or candles. Every stocking also gets some sort of special item (like) a mug or pen with Scripture on them,” she said. “This is something I’m doing because I have experience as a single mom, but I know all single parents struggle.”
Parkhurst said those Florida and Georgia locations will be included again this year, but she also wants to do the stocking donations here.
Like last year, she’s welcoming others to help.
“I knew, for sure, that I wanted to deliver stockings in Gilmer because this is my home now,” she said.
“It’s important that we reach moms who aren’t necessarily in crisis, but working moms who could just use a little smile during the holidays. It’s more about recognizing that there are moms pouring everything they have into their children. When Christmas comes, you don’t spend money on yourself. It’s hard to do that, but everybody still needs a little magic and wants to feel like they matter.”
Anyone can join in the effort, and there are two ways to do so, Parkhurst noted. One is to fill a stocking and contact her for drop-off details. The other is to purchase from the project’s Amazon wish list, a link for which Parkhurst can provide.
She can be contacted at stockingsforsinglemoms@gmail.com.
Parkhurst has already reached out to a local chruch as a possible distribution point, but she welcomes further participation and input from local individuals, churches and church groups.
“I’m currently looking for a partner to deliver in Gilmer, a delivery point,” she said.
Parkhurst plans to meet up with the Gilmer participants to collect the stockings before Christmas. Stockings donated in a particular place will go to residents of that community.
“It’s really exciting this year, because I’ve had moms from Maine, New Hampshire and different parts of Florida sign on, so I think we will be able to do even more,” she said.
Parkhurst said she moved to Gilmer County last year after being hospitalized in 2019 with a serious illness.
“When I got out of the hospital, that was the first time I wasn’t capable of making the magic for my children for Christmas,” she said. “After I got better and the pandemic hit, we moved to Ellijay. My immune system was low, and I wanted to be protected from the pandemic.”
Parkhurst said she’s always loved the mountains and felt at peace here.
“This place always felt like home to me. When we got here, I was about 95 pounds and could barely walk. Now I can hike with my kids, and I’m fully healthy. It’s definitely restored me,” she said.