JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
The Exceptional Family Member Program hosted its 8th annual
‘Selfies with Santa’ at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Dec. 8, 2017.
The EFMP program provides support to families that have
members with special needs. ‘Selfies with Santa’ offers exceptional family
members an accepting, comfortable place for children with special needs to
celebrate the holidays and get their photo taken with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
“It’s important for families to feel like they can
participate in the holidays,” said Ursula Santiago, 633rd Force Support
Squadron exceptional family member coordinator for family support. “With our
families that have special needs, maybe their children might be on the autism
spectrum or have sensory processing challenges, (so) they can’t go to a mall
and take photos with Santa.”
The Selfies with Santa event has had great success over the past
eight years, with more than 100 attendees some years. According to Santiago,
the families love attending the event because their child with special needs is
accepted and feels comfortable in the smaller group setting.
The event also has treats for each guests, movies to watch
and letter writing to Santa.