BROOMFIELD, Colo. — For Todd and Laura Clyncke, the Christmas season begins with a computer, a list, and what they describe as a calling to help families who may be struggling during the holiday.
The Broomfield couple is in its 26th year participating with Catholic Charities' Adopt-A-Family program, which connects donors with individuals and families seeking help during the holiday season.
“This world is still a good place and people still care,” Laura Clyncke said as she reflected on the importance of giving. “I think people are called to do things in their life, and we feel the calling to help others.”
The Adopt-A-Family program is one part of Catholic Charities’ broader work across northern Colorado. Stacy Baum, the organization’s vice president of marketing and community engagement, said Catholic Charities operates dozens of programs, including shelters, affordable housing, women and family services, early childhood education and senior services.
During the holidays, Baum said Adopt-A-Family helps ensure people served by Catholic Charities “aren’t forgotten on Christmas morning.”
“There’s no way we could do the work we do without folks like the Clynckes’,” Baum said. “They are such exceptional examples of what it means to just give from your heart. They're the kind of people who just do things from the bottom of their hearts, they're amazing humans.”
Todd Clyncke said the couple’s approach to giving has grown over time, shaped by the way he was raised.
“Giving becomes who you are versus what you do,” he said. “But you do it because of who you are.”
When the lists of families are released, the Clynckes’ say they often chose the families that may be considered harder to adopt, including large families with children and teens, or households with adults who also need support.
Laura Clyncke said she gets emotional sometimes when reading the items on families’ Christmas lists.
“It's things school supplies or socks,” Laura said with tears in her eyes. “And I know they need those things, but it's really heart wrenching when you see those are things on a Christmas list.”
In recent years, she said they’ve paid special attention to “kinship” families, which are households where grandparents or other relatives are raising children.
“The grandparents are always so modest with what they put on there, and they're really the ones making the sacrifices,” said Laura.
Baum said families like the Clynckes’ make a major impact because they don’t just adopt one family, they often take on several at a time and look for ways to do more each year.
“They always look at what they can do, and they always look to do more,” Baum said. “And that is such a huge inspiration to all of us.”
Last year alone, the Clynckes’ purchased gifts for nearly 60 family members through Adopt-A-Family.
Todd Clyncke said he sometimes thinks about the moment those gifts are opened by families.
“I think a lot about when they’re opening them, that hopefully they will feel the love that’s coming with that,” Todd said.
“The feeling we get when we drop the gifts off at the Adopt-A-Family Center and stand there and cry, even after 26 years, because it's such a blessing to be able to do that outweighs anything that could happen on Christmas morning in terms of receiving gifts,” said Laura.
Catholic Charities nominated Todd and Laura Clyncke for their decades of service, and Denver7 and Levine Law recognized them as this week’s Denver7 Everyday Heroes.
“Thank you very much for this,” the couple said. “But again, we don’t feel like we deserve it. We don’t feel like heroes. We are just doing what we need to do.”
As they return for another year of giving, the Clynckes’ hope families seeking help this Christmas feel loved and cared for.
“You can't take it with you, so you might as well do something good with it while you can,” Laura said with a smile.
Denver7 features a different Everyday Hero each week. To nominate a hero in your life, click here.