Late last week, a classroom at Brown County High School overflowed with holiday cheer as the students excitedly opened their very own giant gift bags, each stuffed full of lovingly wrapped items on their wish lists.

After the gifts were all open, some raced RC cars, some played with stretchy toys, others went for leftover pizza or popcorn, but all had a joyous time.

Beginning in 2019, a local couple has donated their time and money to provide gifts, snacks and fun for special needs students in the Essential Skills class at BCHS, in the form of an event they call “Christmas Blessings.”

The couple, Gabriel and Jamie Lehman, moved to Brown County from Indianapolis in 2016.

Gabriel is a professional artist who creates “whimsical and jovial” pieces, Jamie said.

Jamie runs the reproduction and communication side of his art business, as well as writes her own children’s books.

Gabriel’s art can be seen locally on a vinyl wrap on the traffic box at State Road 46 East and Hawthorne Drive, a joint project of the Nashville Arts and Entertainment Commission and Indiana Department of Transportation this summer.

Jamie said last week the pair met at an art show in 2013 and were instantly drawn to each other’s work.

“My initial contact with him was purely business, I wanted him to illustrate a book of my poems. But, our first business meeting became our first date and we were married shortly after,” she said via email.

Together, they have finished two books, “Splat/Kitty Calamity” and “Paper Airplanes.”

Gabriel’s son and Jamie’s stepson, Connor, has autism, so when the family moved to Brown County, Connor entered the Essential Skills class.

The Essential Skills classroom teaches the Indiana Department of Education’s employability skills that were created in partnership with Indiana Workforce Development and Indiana Office of Work Based Learning.

Those 18 skills include being self-disciplined, time management and organization, adaptability, initiative, problem-solving, attention to detail and effective communication.

Jamie said that one year the class offered a Summer Adventure Program for the kids, which provides care and activities while school is out of session, and she and Gabriel noticed that not all of the families could afford the outings that were included.

In order to help students participate, they began to donate to the program, which led to their interest to be more involved.

They contacted Barb Kelp, the teacher of the BCHS Essential Skills class, to see if she could help them create a list of things that students in the class either need or want.

“Barb was a huge help, without her we couldn’t have done any of this,” Jamie said.

“She knows her students so well and puts great detail into the list so we are able to provide the best presents possible for the students.”

With Kelp’s assistance, the list of items was created, and Jamie and Gabriel created a new holiday tradition together.

They took the money they would have spent on gifts for each other and put it toward a “needs and wants” list, Jamie said.

In 2019, the couple were able to deliver the presents in person, and they made it a special event.

Along with the gifts, they brought pizza, a popcorn machine and a photo printer to make photo ornaments. The students also watched a movie after the party.

“The first year, there were many needs for us to meet,” Jamie said.

“One of the students had been sharing a coat with his brother, so every other day he was without a winter coat. He was elated to have his ‘very own coat.’”

Another student had been wearing an old Carhart coat and detailed one of her needs as a purple coat, Jamie added.

“She was so overjoyed to have a purple coat that she wore it for the rest of the party and didn’t even take it off when she started sweating.”

While many of the students were excited about the “needs” presents, Jamie said they wanted to be sure to give them things they wanted as well.

“With our budget, we make sure to meet the needs first and then tackle the ‘wants,’” she said.

“Thankfully, we have been able to get fun presents for all of the students every year.”

For the past two years, the Lehman’s were unable to have a party with the students, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Now, in its fourth year, the party was able to return in person and expand beyond the Essential Skills class, finding extra funding through far away friends.

Earlier this year, the couple spoke with Scott and Hailey MacDonald, owners of Cooper Dog Properties in Austin, TX , about their annual project, and they decided to donate to the cause.

Jamie said the MacDonalds donated for a cause far away, in a place they have “never even visited,” because they are generous and passionate about helping children.

Because of their donation and fundraising, the project was able to include more kids this year.

“Not only did they donate, they raised additional funds so we were able to expand to include the middle school special needs class, as well as three siblings,” she said.

In addition to cost, it requires time and effort to buy presents for even one other person, Jamie and Gabriel taking on the task of shopping for an entire class.

“With the communication, ‘deal hunting,’ online shopping, in-store shopping, travel time, and wrapping the presents, (it takes) typically about 20 hours,” she said.

Since the project grew in size this year, Jamie said the shopping and preparation for all the presents took around 30 hours this time around.

When asked what drives the Lehmans to want help the class in the face of the large undertaking, Jamie’s answer was straightforward.

“Simply, we love making people happy,” she said.

“We are living a very blessed and joyful life and we want to use our blessings to give back to our community.”

The Lehmans’ connection to the Essential Skills is not only through Connor as a student, but Jamie said that Gabriel has dyslexia and she has Type 1 diabetes.

“We understand the challenges that come along with disabilities, visible or hidden,” she said.

“We have chosen to start by helping families like ours, but we hope to expand and meet additional needs in our community.”

‘Shining stars’

Kelp said that, as the Essential Skills teacher, the yearly holiday party put on by the Lehmans means a great deal to her.

“The outpouring of love and kindness for students who are often overlooked not only touches my heart, but honestly moves me to tears,” she said last week.

She said that the Christmas Blessings event moves her because of how it affects the students, whom she often sees as “overlooked” by the community.

“Our rate of growth is different from others and, at times, people don’t value the growth of our students. Their growth is unfortunately seen by many as less than or not important because it is at a slower pace,” she said.

Kelp said she sees the value and worth of their growth as equal to or greater than other students, because they work so hard to achieve things that others take for granted.

“There are many obstacles in their path because of a variety of reasons that cannot be controlled or changed. They overcome obstacles every single day.” she said.

“The Christmas Blessing event is so important to me because it gives Essential Skills students a day to be the shining star and have people shower them with unlimited and unconditional attention and a huge outpouring of genuine respect for them as humans which creates authentic feelings of worthiness.”

As for the students themselves, Kelp said they enjoy the day very much and that while the presents are very exciting for them, they also value the time they get to spend with the Lehmans.

“It is wonderful to look around the classroom and see them interact with our students. Sometimes I wonder who is more excited; is it the students or Gabriel,” she said.

Kelp said that, typically, Gabriel enjoys opening and helping the kids with their presents, and Jamie helps students put together personalized Christmas ornaments.

Kelp is thankful for the work the Lehman’s put into preparing the event, and the time they spend in the classroom.

“They knew they, for one day a year, could provide an experience for students that allows them to celebrate them and feel like they matter so much,” she said.

“I am thankful I crossed paths with Jamie and Gabriel and feel fortunate to know them.”

Kelp added that there are countless ways others can help, starting small and requiring no monetary donations.

One way to become involved and support the Essential Skills class specifically is by attending their future events. Each spring, they participate in the IHSAA event of Unified Track.

“We would love community members in the stands cheering for and encouraging our students. We run faster, jump farther, and throw with more power when we have fans in attendance,” Kelp said.

They also host an awards ceremony each May and the community is welcome to be a part of the audience and help celebrate students’ accomplishments for the year.

“It’s important to know that our community has people with varied needs living right next door to each of us. Each one of these people is a valued member of our community,” she said.

“Be kind. Become involved. Look for ways to help. Take time to look at the world from a perspective different from your own.”

How to Support

If you’d like to partner financially with the Christmas Blessing, visit gofund.me/a20f468d.

Learn more

For more information on the Lehmans and their work, visit gabriellehman.com.