Miracles are alive and well this Christmas season.
Whether it's the family who gave three foster children the gift of a new home, or the countless Americans who reach out to family and friends in need of a little extra cheer, the holidays are an especially precious time to extend kindness to those around us.
And when I saw the touching story of how one Santa experienced his own Christmas miracle this year, I was truly surprised!
Fernand Gautreau hails from Moncton, Canada, and loves the holiday season. In fact, he's known to locals as the town's most adored Santa Claus.
The rest of the year, however, is a little bit tougher for Fernand. This Christmas hero also happens to be homeless and living on the streets. And as if life wasn't difficult enough for him, tragedy struck our Santa earlier this year when his iconic red suit was stolen.
But what his community did for him in response truly is a Christmas miracle.
Scroll through below to see Fernand's story and how one community learned the true meaning of "the giving season."
How do you help those in need around the holidays? Let us know in the comments.
[H/T: CBC / Global News]
Fernand Gautreau is a 64-year-old hailing from Moncton, Canada. He appears to be your average holiday Santa Claus, except for one thing.
Fernand is homeless and has been living on the city's streets for the past few years.
Without a house to call his own and very little income, he's forced to sleep outdoors, and relies on the local soup kitchen for hot meals.
It’s been a hard life, as Fernand has also been battling alcoholism for decades.
However, there's one special time of year when Fernand can transform into someone totally different – a superhero even.
That magical time is Christmas, when Fernand can don his red suit and entertain the town as Santa Claus.
He shared with Global News, “It’s my character. I like it. I like my soul. I like to make you happy.”
With his big bushy beard and bright eyes, he certainly bears a striking resemblance!
But this Christmas, tragedy struck. As Fernand lay peacefully sleeping in a public washroom, someone stole his most prized possession: his Santa suit.
Completely devastated, Fernand recounted his harrowing tale. "I had three bags, my suit was in there, my phone, my big heavy blankets,” he told Global News.
Unsure of what to do next, he shared the story with his local community at the House of Nazareth homeless shelter.
How the city of Moncton responded truly was a real Christmas miracle, straight out of your favorite holiday movie.
After meeting Fernand at Nazareth House and learning about his story, Aleisha MacPherson knew she had to do something.
“I was like, how can someone be so cruel to someone who is less fortunate?” she said. “The look in his eyes when he was telling me this, it really played on my heartstrings,” Aleisha shared with CBC.
So she turned to Facebook’s “Pay it Forward” page, which allows people to perform an act of kindness, and begged for help.
Her prayers were answered by an unlikely source: another Santa Claus!
This Santa was played by Claude St. Couer, who recently retired from his seasonal Santa duties after 21 years performing for his neighborhood. With his old red suit hanging in his closet and collecting dust, Claude knew exactly who to give it to.
“I am hoping [the suit] will help him have confidence again with himself and in people. I promise to stay close to him and keep talking to him – you never know what can come out of it,” Claude shared with Global News.
After receiving the suit, plus extra clothing and gifts, Fernand was in tears and clearly overcome with incredible emotion.
Fernand says the gesture and the suit have totally changed his life.
So touched by a stranger's kindness, he's vowed to a detox center in the coming year to start turning his life around.
His biggest goal? Taking it "one day at a time."
Claude and his girlfriend, Sharon, have been equally moved by the experience. "The joy in that gentleman's face, it was just priceless. The feeling in his heart, you could tell — no money can buy that," the couple shared with CBC.
What do you think of this community's response to their homeless Santa? Let us know in the comments.
Please SHARE if you believe in the power of holiday miracles!
