Local family to host 17th annual Christmas benefit concert

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - A very special Christmas concert is making its annual appearance in Pocatello Monday night, and it brings not only great music but the true meaning of Christmas.

For most of us, Christmas is a joyous time of family, celebrations and gift, but for the Michaud family, there was a Christmas when their hearts were anything but light.

"There was gonna be a pretty slim Christmas and then somebody knocked on our door and when we opened it, there was food. There were gifts for me and my family, and it brought hope and brought joy to the household ,and it really not only changed that Christmas, it changed our lives. It changed an outlook on what giving is and what blessing someone is, and that's really the beginning of Christmas Angels," Stephen Michaud said.

For the past 17 years, the Michaud family has been giving back to their community, hoping to bless the lives of others the way theirs were blessed so many years ago.

Monday night is the 17th annual Christmas Angels Concert, a Pocatello tradition that combines the beautiful music of Christmas with the chance to help someone in need.

"I don't think there's a better feeling to be completely honest. I often say this when I'm doing the concert I wouldn't wish that position of not having a lot on anyone. But I am eternally grateful that I got to experience it because to understand just the change that it made in me and to know that we could be given a little bit of that to people in our community that are in need," Michaud said.

They say the need is greater than ever this year.

"To those that don't really have a hope for something better, it brings hope. For those that don't have a lot of joy in the season, it brings joy, and it's so funny that like a such a small thing, like a toy or a monetary donation something that feels so small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things can legitimately change someone's life because it did mine and it did my family's."

Over the past 17 years, the concert and the Michaud family has grown. There are now three generations that will entertain us, and they want our families to join their family. Stephen says he hopes through our help this year., there will be more christmas angels than ever so no one has to go without.

"It's so important. So important to be able to get back after knowing what I have gone through and what my family has gone through and what other families in our community have gone through to be able to see the change that you can give just by giving a gift is it's indescribable."

The concert starts at 7:00 p.m. at the Calvary Chapel at 800 Marinus. Admission is an unwrapped new toy for a boy or girl, or a monetary donation.  

If you can’t attend, the concert will also be live streamed on the Christmas Angels Facebook page.

You can donate at this Venmo account.