"Al Holdren has never stepped foot in Kirkwood, MO, but he is going to change lives here," stated Jeff Daniels, President of Audi Kirkwood.
Al is the Co-Founder and President of Secret Families, a non-profit organization founded in Muncie, Indiana. Secret Families works directly with local schools to ensure that selected families have a very merry Christmas. Each Secret Family receives a Christmas tree, family Bible, grocery gift card, and presents for the whole family on Christmas morning.
Incredibly, the entire process of shopping, wrapping, and delivering the presents to the Secret Families occurs in one day. It is kind of a Christmas miracle that thousands of Secret Family volunteers gather in one place at dawn and by the time the stars light up the night sky, lists have been made and checked twice, eyes twinkle with delight, joy and laughter fills the air, heartfelt tears have been shared, and memories that last a lifetime have been made. More than that, people graciously and happily serve others whose names they will never know.
"One of the coolest things I experienced is seeing families who were served in the past, now volunteering to serve other families in need," said Jeff.
Secret Families started in December of 2004 when Al and his wife Chris decided to sacrificially give to one family at Christmas. Today, the organization serves over 400 families across eight cities. "Kirkwood will be the ninth Secret Family city. And there is no one better to launch Secret Families in Kirkwood than Jeff," stated Al. "He is as close to this operation as anyone. And his heart is always ready to serve the community."
Jeff worked directly with Kirkwood School District leaders Steph Deidrick and Dr. Matthew Bailey to select one Secret Family recipient from each school in the district. Jeff smiled and said, "We will serve nine families for our inaugural year this Christmas.”
Jeff commented about his transition to St. Louis three years ago. “The part that hurt the most was leaving Al and Secret Families. I have always said that no matter where I end up, I would bring Al's Secret Family legacy with me."
Jeff met Al at a business networking event in 2007. "I was running a car dealership in Muncie, Indiana. I started networking because I wanted to get involved in the community," stated Jeff. "The minute I met Al, I knew that once you were in his orbit, you don't leave. Al is one of the most gregarious and magnetic personalities that I have ever met."
Upon learning about Al’s passion to help the community through Secret Families, Jeff jumped at the chance to get his family and his employees involved as volunteers to shop, wrap, and deliver presents.
"The first year I was involved with Secret Families, we served 25 families," recalled Jeff. "It was fulfilling and humbling at the same time for everyone who volunteered – especially for our kids. I can't think of a better way for kids who grow up relatively privileged to begin to understand the struggles some of the kids from their school face."
"We drove by a house of a family that we served a couple of years ago, and my daughter said, 'I wonder how they are doing.' This is a house we drive by all the time," noted Jeff. "We don't realize how much need there is everywhere around us."
While the families' identity is kept completely anonymous, the enormous amount of love poured into each member of the family from the Secret Family volunteers cannot be understated. "My team at Audi Kirkwood is excited to bring this to Kirkwood to give back to the community. And even better, they can't wait to share this experience with their families and their kids," said Jeff. "When I was in Muncie, the Secret Family event was my family's Christmas. It's everything Christmas is meant to be."
Share this incredible secret with us. Sponsor a family, join us for our wrapping party anytime on Saturday December 11th at Audi Kirkwood, or be a part of our delivery team on Saturday and Sunday December 11th and 12th.
Visit secretfamilieskirkwood.org for more information about sponsoring a family or volunteering for the inaugural Secret Family event, Saturday, December 11th at Audi Kirkwood.