Shania’s father left long ago. Her mother could not, would not give up drugs and alcohol. Shania lived as a ward of the state most of her life and finally moved into her aunt’s house at age 15. But Shania, having known nothing but rejection and trying to reconcile her anger and love of her mother, treated her aunt badly. Shania was failing classes in school and on a downhill path toward her own destruction.

Shania was referred to Kaleidoscope in the summer of 2008 as an at-risk teenage foster youth. Shania’s aunt was willing to do whatever she could to keep her in her home, but she needed help soon or she would lose Shania. Shania was reluctant to talk to Lauren, her family worker, and the other team members assigned to her case. She was often found staring into space, seemingly asleep with her eyes open. Lauren’s team met daily, brainstorming new ways to engage her and provide her opportunities to open up.

The week before Christmas, members from her Kaleidoscope team showed up at her door, holding a giant, red box adorned with gold ribbons and ornate bows. With big eyes, Shania said flatly, “That’s a beautiful box.” Knowing that Shania half-expected a gift from Kaleidoscope, Lauren told her that this gift was not from Kaleidoscope, but a donor, her "Secret Santa." Shania took the lid off the box, finding the things she’d been wishing for: drawing paper, pencils and crayons, a digital camera and a bottle of perfume she’d always “tested” at the store. Then, Shania began crying. Smiling, Lauren asked why she was crying. Shania said, “No one had ever been nice to me.”

Lauren sees that day and that gift from a stranger as the catalyst that changed Shania. Shania opened up and began talking about what was on her mind. Shania began accepting the love her aunt gave her. In four months, Shania went from failing grades to the honor roll! And if there’s any question that that simple gift was part of what helped her make a change, just look to the foot of her bed where there sits a giant, red box wrapped in gold ribbons still adorned with ornate bows.