Elmont woman brightens holidays of needy families

Growing up with seven sisters and three brothers in East Harlem, Elizabeth Forbes didn’t have much, and until she was 13, she thought that houses lined with Christmas lights and presents piled up under large evergreen trees were just fictions created by television producers. It wasn’t until 1994, when her family went to Queens to visit her aunt and uncle, that she learned the truth.

Forbes was overwhelmed by the sights as they crossed the Triborough Bridge and pulled up to a house with a bay window, she recounted, and when her aunt handed out presents to all of her siblings, she waited anxiously for her name to be called and prayed that there was a gift for her as well. As it turned out, there were three, and as she unwrapped each of them, she was overcome with excitement and gratitude that someone had thought of her during the holiday season.

Now, Forbes is making sure that other children in Elmont, where she lives with her husband and six sons, have that same experience.

Inspired by her aunt’s generosity, and moved by the stories her neighbors told of the hardships they were facing, Forbes, 39, started planning her first Santa’s Wonderland event in October 2018. She reached out to Al Harper, then the Elmont School District superintendent, to find out how many families in the district were in need of some help during the holiday season, and spoke to local business owners about donating gifts. Her friends helped her run the event, and in the two years since then it has grown.

Last year, Santa’s Wonderland was held at the Elmont Memorial Library, and several hundred families lined up outside the theater for the chance to get some age-appropriate gifts and eat some deli and bakery food. This year, however, the library declined to host the event, and it was held instead at the Elmont Fire Department headquarters last Saturday.

“Nothing’s going to stop me,” Forbes said a few days before the event. “I am very determined” and it is “very dear to me to make sure we have it up and running this year.”

She has lost her father, sister and an uncle during the pandemic, she explained, but would not allow herself to break down emotionally. Instead, she decided to devote all of her energy to her new Gift of Giving Foundation, which, besides hosting the holiday gift-giving event each year, also provides high school juniors and seniors with hours of community service.

She is also considering setting up a scholarship program for 20 local high school students, and in October she contacted women around the world to create a platform for them to share their successes every other Wednesday night, when they can unwind, sip a glass of wine and enjoy some self-care. The women have since thanked Forbes not only for the invite, she said, but also for the opportunity to hear women’s stories of overcoming obstacles.

“I was able to heal other people,” she said, which “allows me to heal myself.”

Forbes also directed some of her energy into wrapping 200 books, hats, scarves and other gifts that were donated by A2Z Auto Masters and Webair, in Garden City, over the course of two days before last Saturday’s Santa’s Wonderland, when they were all sorted based on age group and each child received a book, a hat, a scarf and a gift. “I have Santa’s Wonderland at home first,” Forbes joked, adding that everything had to be wrapped so that the Elmont children could get that same sense of excitement and gratitude she felt 26 years ago.

“Christmas is about bringing that spirit, no matter what,” said State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, who helped sponsor the event and handed out presents that were larger than some of the children carrying them last Saturday, as Christmas music played in the background. “It’s just so wonderful to get out and feel like we’re doing something.”

This year, Elmont Superintendent Kenneth Rosner identified 75 to 100 families who were in need this year, he said, and called them to let them know about the event. That prompted Jonathan Raime to bring his 7-year-old daughter, Lianna, who said it was “very, very exciting,” and was glad she got to see Santa.

“I think this kind of summarizes what Elmont is all about,” Rosner said, “helping families inside the school and out.”