By Jennifer L. Warren
NEWBURGH – For Jennifer Colon, the emotional scene that played out Christmas Eve afternoon, on Newburgh’s Lower Broadway, was “nothing short of amazing, magical, and filled with renewed faith.”
Here, with the iconic, brightly illuminated, Newburgh Christmas Tree enveloping them, Colon fully soaked in the priceless moment of her children’s faces lighting up as they received festively adorned, individual gift bags, filled with carefully selected, personalized presents from members of the Grant family.
This year marks the 14th that Sonya Grant, along with her husband and three children, participated in bringing unbridled joy to youth in the hospital during the holiday season.
The “Christmas Miracle” was not something the mother of six ever deemed possible back in early October when the government shut down, and her husband, Angel, an Army veteran and member of the Army Reserves National Guard, had his vital, military-related education pay significantly delayed. The resulting scarcity of funds, not only led to backed up bill payments and accompanying stress for the Long Island-based couple, but a tangible uncertainty about delivering a deserved Christmas for their children. That elusive relief would soon be revealed when Angel’s National Guard Unit connected the Colon family with the Grants’ of Newburgh, who lead the 501(c)(3) organization, GrantForesight, Inc, which has held a Christmas Eve Toy Drop Off Hospital Event for the past 14 years. That life changing, holiday agenda of giving was about to expand.
“We decided to adopt a family after hearing about the Colon’s situation of raising six children during a really tough time,” said Sonya Grant, who is assisted by her husband, Dennis, and their three children: Ellyson, Sterling and Hanibal, with GrantForesight. “As the daughter of an Army veteran and with my husband serving in the New York State Guard, their situation hit close to home, and when they told us our support felt like a miracle, it reminded me of why we do what we do: Showing up when it really counts.”
Here, Sonya Grant, her husband, and three children, continued their 14 years of holiday giving journey, presenting individual bags of presents to members of the Colon family, which includes; army veteran, Angel, his wife, Jennifer, and their six children.
That treasured full presence was on further display earlier in the day, Christmas Eve morning, by the Grant family contingent, as they could be spotted, carrying a host of balloons, while clad in eye-catching reindeer antler headgear, and even a large red ornamented nose, wheeling in wagonloads of precious gifts to the Montefiore Saint Luke’s Cornwall Hospital’s Emergency Room Lobby. Met by Hospital staff, who transported the gifts to young patients, the Grant Family continued its long-standing holiday gift-giving tradition while upholding the unwavering purpose of its newly christened, April, 2025, 501(c)(3)’s mission: “raising the bar-believing, achieving, receiving, and empowering communities to believe in their potential, achieving their goals and receiving the benefits of a brighter future.” It’s a year-round mission of helping that has not only forever positively altered the lives of recipients, but the members as well, showing some of life’s most precious gifts are not wrapped on the outside but felt inside one’s heart and spirit.
“I’ve been involved with this ever since I was eight years old, and it’s really taught me to appreciate more of what I have and the ability to give,” said 22 year old, Sterling Grant, who could be seen chatting with, and asking questions to the Colon family, bonding with them following the present exchange. “This is our first year of adopting a family, something that really feels like a first-hand connection; it allows for a way to really develop a relationship with the families and make them feel special.”
Pieces of that specialness filled Lower Broadway Christmas Eve, as the Colon and Grant families could be seen interacting- sharing stories, hugging and laughing- long after the gift bag presentations. On a cold, windy winter afternoon, the warmth of uplifting, giving and hope, newly cemented connections and treasured appreciation triumphed, proving the magic of the holidays remains very real and powerful.
“Beyond the gifts, this experience allowed us to show our children there are truly good people in this world who care, step up for others, and who believe in helping one another,” said the deeply grateful Jennifer Colon, who cherished all the “gifts,” a human lifeline of inspiring fuel, the Grants gave her family. “It reminds us that when we come together and support each other, we create a village and that village can carry families through even the hardest of times.”
