The Arc of Moore County's chapter of First In Families has completed another very successful Santa Challenge this year.

For 235 children, this holiday season has been filled with the spirit of Christmas. The First In Families staff, Michelle Bauer and Cherri Mercer, identified more than 80 families of children with disabilities and their siblings that would not be able to provide toys for their children this year due to overwhelming economic circumstances for the families as a result of having to provide for the needs of the child with disabilities.

First In Families' mission is to assist families with needs and to fulfill their dreams for their children with disabilities in order to make their lives as "normal" as possible. During the holiday season, this is especially stressful for these families. With the leveraging of community donations and discounts from many of our local businesses, First In Families was able to stretch the use of these dollars to provide much more for families in need.

This year, more than 120 members of the community fulfilled the "wish lists" of children or provided donations to sponsor the lists. Many of the requests in the "wish lists" were for basic necessities. Also, some of the toys requested were for specific educational or therapeutic needs.

Michelle Bauer, FIF chapter coordinator, recalled one particular family which had a child with a disability from birth who needed a special toy to help her develop the muscles needed to smile.

"It was such a pleasure for us to provide such a small thing to a family that just wanted to help their child learn how to smile," she says.

For more information about First In Families and The Arc of Moore County, a United Way partner agency, call (910) 692-8272 or visit the website www.thearc ofmoore.org, or visit The Arc of Moore County on Facebook.