The holiday season is supposed to be a time of joy; but for those who’ve suffered the recent loss of a loved one, the holidays amplify the loneliness.
Deb Bell lost her husband of 27 years, Scott, in October 2025 after a yearlong battle with glioblastoma. “He was a fighter and he kept going,” Deb says, “He was only on hospice care for 3 weeks when he passed.”
Just weeks after Scott’s passing, the holiday season arrived – and with it came a surprise for Deb. “(My sister) Joan came a few weeks later for our family Christmas and she brought the Cheer Box to me,” Deb remembers, “I was just really surprised.”
EveryStep’s Amanda the Panda team has been distributing holiday Cheer Boxes across Iowa for more than 30 years. Recipients are nominated anonymously; gifts are wrapped and boxes built and delivered all by volunteers. In 2025, EveryStep distributed more than 700 Cheer Boxes filled with eight meaningful gifts to individuals and families in need of support and a smile during one of life’s most difficult moments.
“The gifts were very thoughtful and heartwarming,” Deb says, “It's just kind of interesting how the things that were in that box sparked memories for me.”
Deb opened the gifts with her sister, then set about deciding how to put each gift to use in the best way possible for her, Scott, and anyone else she could help. This was her plan:
- “I planted the amaryllis bulb and put it in my windowsill, and it bloomed and was gorgeous and just brought a lot of color to a time of darkness, and it was in the wintertime. It was really beautiful and it kept blooming. That brought me a lot of joy to look at that every day and see that.”
- “I love that candle. I have a candle warmer, so I don't burn it, but I put it on the candle warmer, so it will last a really long time."
- “Of course, the blanket to cozy up with on a cold winter day to feel the warmth. That was so very sweet.”
- “My daughter loves to do puzzles, so over winter break, she got out the puzzle, and she did it all in one day ... That brought her a lot of joy to be able to do that and think of dad.”
- “In February, I joined a grief group for younger widowers ... as we got to know each other, I used the journal as something to set aside and put my thoughts in. I only use it for Scott stuff.”
- “During one of our grief group sessions, I brought the book and shared it with the whole group. Then I regifted the book to a woman with four young children so that she could read it with her kids.”
- “In the grief group, one of the girls was talking about her kids. She had two daughters and they were having a hard time. So, I asked her if she had anything with his voice on it and I gave her the teddy bear.”
- “I decided a way to remember Scott over the holidays is to bring the plate to our family gatherings on both sides of the family ... and everyone who was there at the different gathers would sign. This year at Christmas we’re going to use a different color, and everyone will sign again and keep remembering Scott each Christmas.”
EveryStep and Amanda the Panda welcome nominations for Cheer Boxes year -round. You can nominate a deserving individual at this link. If you are interested in volunteering with Cheer Box, you can connect with the Amanda the Panda team by emailing cheerbox@everystep.org.
