Saturday, December 18, 2010

A jolly man hoping to bring holiday cheer and some help to Wichita's less fortunate this weekend.

The man behind the beard is Pastor Mike Furches. He's helping the less fortunate by bringing warm clothes, blankets and toiletries to downtown Wichita. But, maybe even more importantly, he offers a warm hug and a handshake to anyone who needs it.

Distribution sites were set up in downtown Wichita at the public library and at the Salvation Army where people could come to gather what they needed and share their holiday wishes with Santa. Most people said all they wanted this Christmas was a job.

Pastor Furches knows what it is like to be homeless. He lived on the streets as a young man. Now, he is putting his life experiences to good use helping start the Santa to the Homeless project right here in Wichita.

The project has become so popular, thanks to social networking, events like the one held in Wichita are being held worldwide.

When asked if Pastor Furches will be playing Santa's helper next year he said, absolutely!