A Flagler County organization that makes Christmas possible for needy families said it's struggling to help this year.

  • Christmas Come True struggles after hurricanes
  • Grants, donations cut short and sent to Puerto Rico
  • Visit christmascometrue.org to donate

For the past nine years, Nadine King and her volunteers have prepared gifts for those who can't afford to put any underneath the Christmas tree.

"People aren't able to pay their electric bills or their water bills, so it just gets worse and then you don't have the money to do Christmas," said Nadine King, Founder of Christmas Come True.

Now the Christmas Come True organization itself is struggling to help because of back-to-back hurricanes.

"Because there were so many tragedies, so much destruction. There are people that are out there that are homeless. There's still houses that are ripped apart," King said.

King said nearly $20,000 in grants and donations expected to help them out were cut short and sent to places like Puerto Rico.

"Consequently, we didn’t have the funding to do the number of families that we’ve done in the past," King said.

Normally they would help more than 150 families.

"This year I'm struggling and trying to do 123-124, and that's pushing the envelope," King said.

King said now they're scaling back on everything, from bikes to certain gifts and Christmas meals

"We can't do it all unless we have more funding," King said.

The rooms where they are storing gifts are packed with Christmas gifts, but they're still in need of items for teens and babies. Each of their wish lists are posted on more than two dozen Christmas trees throughout the community.

"Those are things that they love -- they're simple things," said King.

King said the best Christmas gift will be to feed and provide gifts for more than 150 families, and they're hoping the community will help them accomplish the goal.

"We've got to pull it together, and we've got to be able to give to as many of these families as we can,” King said. “It’s a feeling that I want to give to those parents that the community loves them, that we know that you're struggling, we know that there are people out there, and that we're trying to do our best to make it a little easier for you.”

They're hosting fundraisers on Dec. 13 and 14 in Palm Coast. Monetary donations will be accepted to help provide meals and gift donations as well.

Visit christmascometrue.org for more information on how to donate.