Youth group delivers gifts to local kids

By ERIN NICHOLES, Chronicle Staff Writer

Caitlyn Chase, 9, stood speechless in the entryway of her south Bozeman home after answering the door to surprise guests Monday afternoon.

"We're Santa's helper's," said Jeremy Rudy, 16, as he handed Caitlyn a package wrapped in festive paper and embellished with a bow. "We got your letters from the North Pole, and here's your present."

Caitlyn, eyes wide with surprise, softly thanked Rudy and three other helpers in Santa hats standing on her doorstep. She promised -- with only a hint of reluctance -- to not open the package until Christmas.

Inside the package is a gift Caitlyn requested in a letter she wrote to Santa Claus, and mailed to the North Pole.

The local postmaster, who is one of Santa's many helpers, intercepted letters to Santa from local children, and forwarded them to Youth Reaching Out, a local service organization with 30 members between 14 and 23 years old.

"What we want to do is make some kids' dreams come true," said James Vollbracht who serves on YRO's international board of directors. "Our whole goal was to provide meaningful rites of passage for kids in the Bozeman area through service."

The group answered about five letters by granting their authors' Christmas wishes -- or at least something close to what they asked for.

Caitlyn asked Santa for a "real baby bunny, real puppies and kittens, and a real baby giraffe," Vollbracht said.

"We got her a really nice stuffed baby giraffe," he said.

Another boy apologized for being naughty, then asked Santa to give his grandmother her memory back. He also asked for a toy, a request Youth Reaching Out could fulfill.

This is the first year Youth Reaching Out has answered letters to Santa, and the idea came from stories Vollbracht encountered while researching for his book, "Stopping at Every Lemonade Stand: How to Create a Culture that Cares About Kids."

"I read about how they had done this in a New York City post office and we thought it would be a great annual event for our Youth Reaching Out group."

A few of the group's members each took a Christmas letters and raised money to buy gifts on children's lists.

As Gabe Rudy, 20, prepared to deliver Caitlyn's gift, he said he felt he was doing something true to the spirit of Christmas.

"It's exciting, the idea that a little child might write something and see someone show up at the door with that letter," Rudy said.

Rudy, his brother Jeremy, and fellow helpers Aaron Howard, 18, and Rosemary Goodfriend, 19, beamed as they walked away from Caitlyn's house after delivering her present that appeared truly appreciated.

"It's been a blessing," said Barbie Chase, Caitlyn's mom. "It's a wonderful gift; a wonderful surprise."

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