Veterans advocacy group bringing Santa to Plymouth

PLYMOUTH — It’s been a bad year for Flip’N Furniture and Ladders, home goods and clothing re-sale stores that raise money for the Bridge House shelter for veterans. Sales were off by tens of thousands of dollars, and volunteers and staff were anxious about contracting the coronavirus – and bringing the illness to vulnerable shelter residents.

To top it off, they knew that the annual cookie walk, organized each year to thank the community right before Christmas, wouldn’t be able to happen as usual. But, pandemic or no, it is still the season of joy, so Cathy Bentwood leveraged a personal connection to offer local children a chance to video chat with Santa and Mrs. Claus, since they can’t meet in person.

Bentwood, director of the Bridge House Shelter and Veterans Advocacy, is hosting a mailbox at Flip’N Furniture, located on Tenney Mountain Highway, for children to deposit their letters to Santa. Those letters will be delivered directly to the North Pole, alleviating the strain on the US Postal Service. What’s more, parents who include their phone number or email address with the letter will be contacted by an elf to arrange for a one-on-one video chat with the first couple of Christmas. The chat will take place on Sunday evening, Dec. 20, following a 4 p.m. reading of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Mrs. Claus live on Facebook.

Bentwood said the event will allow children to experience the magic and excitement of the holiday, while still preserving everyone’s health.

“We wanted something active for kids to do, where they can sit down and write a letter.,” Bentwood said. The Clauses will be back in town on Dec. 23 to wave a families that come to the drive-through cookie event, in which pre-packed boxes of cookies will be handed out. Families are asked to RSVP for the cookie event on Flip’N Furniture’s Facebook page by Dec. 22, so that they can be sure there will be enough cookies for everyone.

Bentwood said that it has been a “fearful” year to navigate for the nonprofit organization, but that she still felt that it was important to find a way to bring joy to their community.

“We are incredibly grateful to the shoppers who continue coming to the stores, for our donors who send us unsolicited donations,” she said. “I don’t take any of it for granted.”

That’s the what and the why, but what about the how? How did Bentwood get the Clauses to participate? That is thanks to Bentwood’s daughter, Marybeth Bentwood, who recently relocated to her native Plymouth from New York City, where she works in communications. Her firm, Brand Elevation Communications, has a couple of well-known clients.

“As the North East Communications Director for Santa and Mary Claus, I know they’re thrilled to connect with as many local families on Facebook Live, which is also the safest way possible during a pandemic,” Marybeth said. Like Flip’N Furniture, the Clauses have had to find a new way to continue favorite traditions this year, she said. “COVID has forced us to think differently about how they keep their profile in the community.”

Though they’re not usually active on social media -- the Naughty List is long enough without taking Tweets into account, Santa said -- Marybeth said that the Clauses recognize what a powerful tool it has been this year. “It makes spreading joy easier, and they know they can reach kids that in the past they couldn’t.”

Bentwood said that she was grateful that the Clauses agreed to come help bring Christmas to Plymouth.

“Certainly, the idea of good will toward all is abounding this Christmas,” Bentwood added.