Magic Moments

The Barghish family fled Sinjar, Iraq, with only what they could carry. Mira and her mother, Lozniya, made the journey across the desert to Baghdad. There they met father Muhsin in their new community, a city of white tents where they lived for three years before making the long journey to Texas to start a new, better life.

Now, Mira is 13 years old and attends Culler Middle School. There, she's a straight-A student who is excelling despite a challenging schedule and the barriers of adapting to a new culture. UBT and our amazing partners wanted to ensure the Barghish family felt the love of their new community this holiday season and adjust to the colder weather with style.

11-year-old Serenity has faced a lot of challenges in her young life. She and her family have fallen on hard times, and though her mom does her best, making ends meet is a struggle. Serenity is a light to those around her and is always supporting others. She’s even been a guest on the Boys & Girls Club podcast, sharing her story in hopes of inspiring other kids to persevere through the challenges they’re experiencing.

Serenity was nominated by program staff at the Boys & Girls Club, who want to make sure that Serenity knows she is loved and cared for — not just by the club but by many others in the Lincoln community. UBT’s Magic Moments team and our wonderful partners were more than happy to share the love. The family will be getting a ton of gifts designed to give the family some quality times this holiday season and some new basic necessities like clothing.

Rawda Theam is a single parent to her two daughters, Alith (14) and Alek (8). She would do anything for her girls and they're a tight-knit crew. Rawda was recently diagnosed with renal failure and now has to juggle daily dialysis on top of keeping up with her girls and working overnight to make ends meet. Despite the challenges, Rawda continues to have a big heart, joyful disposition, and is always willing to help others in need.

UBT and our generous partners wanted to ensure Rawda and her girls felt the love this holiday season. They'll be enjoying new furniture, clothes, and tires for the car. Additionally, they'll be receiving many family activities to keep spending quality time together while making memories together 

Kayla is a hard-working, dedicated, and deeply caring RN and single mom to three amazing children: Shaun, Bri, and Mason. Last July, Kayla found a mysterious lump that was later diagnosed as stage four malignant melanoma. Her fight against cancer has been grueling and has forced Kayla to cut her hours at work, adding financial struggles to her stressors. Her remarkable children have stepped up even more, helping to take care of their mom and each other.

UBT and our caring partners wanted to create some holiday magic for this sports-loving crew. They'll be enjoying many family outings together to sporting events, concerts, and more. Kayla's selflessness shone through when she said all she wanted was maybe some new pots and pans, so we made that happen for her — plus lots of other goodies to brighten the holiday and make her feel cared for. The kids all got unique, individualized gifts, including some cool new tech, and we even had some treats up our sleeves for Rio and Louie, the family's French bulldogs. 

Lindsey and Matt Scheinost were high school sweethearts. They had a beautiful life together with their two children, Avarie and Kaysen. The family's strength was tested in 2022 when Matt was diagnosed with colon cancer, but they remained hopeful when he went into remission. Unfortunately, Matt's cancer came back in June this year and he sadly passed away in September. It's been hard for Lindsey and the kids navigating the world without Matt. The family's nominators described how faced with an unimaginable loss, they keep moving forward with grace and strength.

UBT and our awesome partners wanted to step up and make things easier and a little brighter for Lindsey, Avarie, and Kaysen this holiday season. With gifts including professional snow removal and dog walking, we hope Lindsey's plate will be a little clearer to spend quality time with her kids. Together, they'll enjoy art supplies and classes, family memberships for fun outings, and movie tickets. They'll also spend time baking with their new mixer, setting up new furniture for Avarie's room, and building LEGO sets with Kaysen.