Business owner delivers holiday joy to shelter

GARY, Ind. (WLS) -- A suburban business owner who struggled on the streets as a teenager is delivering joy to people who have fallen on hard times this holiday.

It feels a lot more like Christmas at one Gary, Indiana, shelter and it is all because of Eric Smoot.

The Wilmette business owner is giving back to a community dear to his heart by bringing holiday cheer to the homeless women and their children, and the victims of domestic violence residing there.

The long-term facility has been around since 1989.

"It's been 12 years that he's been coming here and he's like our private Santa," said shelter director Renitta Stout. "We appreciate him every year."

Kids get to holiday shop, as well as open three toys on Christmas Day from a wish list they make. Moms also get a special gift.

One recipient and her 9-year-old autistic son have lived at the shelter since losing everything this summer.

"I really didn't have any money to give my kids some gifts, so it kind of made it a little bit better and I saw a different approach to Christmas," she said.

Sunday morning Smoot led a caravan of hope, the journey a personal one for him.

The 42-year old personal trainer grew up in Gary and was homeless at the age of 12 after his drug addicted mother could no longer care for him.

"All kids think that we're going to write a list for Santa and get what we want and when you live in poverty, that list doesn't get to Santa sometimes," Smoot said.

He enlists the help of his business partner and some of his North Shore clients, which includes the Ponzi family who also make the 40-mile drive to A World Away to help.

"It's really nice to see how everyone's so happy about receiving," Marie Ponzi said.

"I'm so glad we can help," Smoot said. "This is what Christmas is about. Giving. Giving back."

Smoot says this year's donations total around $25,000. You can add that to the roughly $200,000 he has managed to give over the last dozen years.

Smoot says he hopes that his commitment to helping will inspire other businesses and their owners to reach out to those less fortunate.