“It made me grow up in a lot of ways,” said Ezra Twahirwa, who arrived in Manchester at age 9 with his family from Uganda, speaking no English and plunging straight into public school.

“When I first went into Kids’ Cafe they immediately took my family in as their own. It made me realize there are people out there who care about others even if they don’t know them,” said Twahirwa, who is now a marketing student at Southern New Hampshire University and a Salvation Army volunteer.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year, the Union Leader’s Santa Fund raises money to support the Salvation Army’s yearlong mission to help struggling children and families in greater Manchester — a charge that becomes more critical each year as children’s needs strain more families and outpace available resources.

“If I could shout from the mountaintops everything that Bob and Kaisy, (the longtime leaders of the Kids’ Cafe) and the Salvation Army did for me, I’d have no voice left,” said Franchesca Alcala-Coston, who is now 29. She started going to Kids’ Cafe at age 5 and continued through her teenage years. For herself and the friends she made there, the Cafe’s midweek evening meal and activity program from 5 to 7 p.m. was a lifesaver and a trajectory changer.

“It’s part of who I grew into,” said Alcala-Coston, who now works in social services because of the invisible, lasting gifts she received — friendship, opportunity, new experiences, hope and purpose.

“I think about this all the time,” she said. “I think about where I would be now if the doors weren’t open and the lights weren’t on at Kids’ Cafe.”

Monday’s luncheon

Each year the Salvation Army kicks off its largest fundraising efforts, which include donations to the red kettles outside stores and to the Union Leader Santa Fund.

Monday’s luncheon at the DoubleTree by Hilton honored Bob Champagne, long-serving director of the Kids’ Cafe, who has functioned as mentor and auxiliary father to generations of Manchester youth. The event featured an auction of art made by a dozen Kids’ Cafe children, ages 9 to 14.

“They’re proud of their artwork,” said Kaisy Kourcoulis, the charity’s assistant community center director. “They can’t wait to see how much money they raise for their programs.”

Kelley Hobbs, director of community engagement at SNHU, came to celebrate Champagne and support the Army’s mission. She volunteers yearly for its Christmas toy drive, which helps families who can’t afford to buy gifts for their children, including necessities like coats and boots.

“Regardless of religion and identity,” the Salvation Army “values someone as a human and wants the best for them,” said Hobbs, a Manchester native. “Their programs serve everybody with the purpose of uplifting the whole community. It’s amazing how selflessly they give. I know many lives that have been touched by Kids’ Cafe. The kids all tell me the same thing: They feel seen. They feel valued. They feel safe. That’s a lot for a lot of kids.”

Marissa Barrientos, a Kids’ Cafe alum, now studies nursing. She became tearful when addressing the luncheon crowd. “Kids’ Cafe made me grow as a person and come out of my shy little bubble. Bob and Kaisy included me in everything. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if Kids Cafe wasn’t there for me when I was so young.”

Julie Lopez of Manchester works as an emergency dispatcher for a utility company in Londonderry. She joined Kids’ Cafe at age 7 or 8, after moving here from Puerto Rico. She said the Salvation Army’s programs for teens and children, which include Teen Night on Fridays and summer day camp, started a cascade of opportunities and gave her an extended family, close friends that endure and a desire to give back.

Siena Muccioli, 17, of Nashua, Miss New Hampshire Teen Volunteer with Volunteer America, sang the national anthem in a pin-drop-silent room.

Giving to the Salvation Army matters so much now, she said, “because a lot of children don’t have access to a lot of things that other kids in New Hampshire have and do. A lot of people overlook that.”

“It helps many of the kids who have nothing to have something,” said Peter Perich, a former assistant principal at Memorial High School, who has volunteered at Kids Cafe for 15 years and counting.

“Kids are the future,” said Alcala-Coston, who is a steadfast volunteer at Kids’ Cafe. “If you invest in youth, there will be a brighter tomorrow.”

Donations can be made online at unionleader.com/santafund or by check to the Union Leader Santa Fund, c/o New Hampshire Union Leader, P.O. Box 9555, Manchester, NH 03108.

Donations also can be dropped in the Santa Fund box in the lobby of the newspaper at 200 Bedford St., Manchester, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.