DECEMBER 3, 2009 ISSUE
Give the Gift of Giving
Santa’s Toy Box, Salvation Army, Operation Christmas Child, Toys for Tots Underway
Tanya Poteet, herself a former orphan and recipient of shoebox gifts from Russia, sits with children in Quito, Ecuador during a recent gift distribution there by Samaritan’s Purse. Photo submitted
Perhaps the easiest and best way to instill the Christmas spirit is to think about the less fortunate members of the community and take action to make their holidays brighter and more hopeful. Many local groups carry the torch on such initiatives and need your help in fulfilling their thoughtful and vital mission this holiday season.
Santa’s Toy Box
Santa’s Toy Box—a joint initiative of Deerfield United Methodist Church, Boone Optimist Club, Boone Kiwanis Club, Boone Advent Christian Church and ASU’s APPS and athletic teams—brightened the Christmas Days of 887 local children in 2008 and, according to Santa’s Toy Box Co-Chair Gene Swift, the organization anticipates helping 900 to 1,000 children for Christmas 2009.
“We try and supply the needs of a lot of young people in the community who are in need,” explained Swift.
Started in 1986 by the men of Deerfield United Methodist Church, Santa’s Toy Box is celebrating its 23rd year helping local children and, according to Swift, the organization very much needs volunteers, donations and toys. Swift encourages the community to drop off unwrapped toys for all ages of children at one of six locations around Boone. Toy drop-off locations include the ASU Plemmons Student Union, Southern States Subaru, Boone Police Department, Charter Communications, Ross Chrysler Jeep Dodge and High Country Press.
To make a tax-deductible donation to Santa’s Toy Box, send a check to: Santa’s Toy Box, PO Box 1337, Boone, NC 28607. For more information, call Swift at 828-264-0675.
Salvation Army
For 2009, the Salvation Army is not organizing and hosting its Angel Tree in Watauga or Avery counties, but the need organization is still appealing to the local community for financial donations that will be used to buy food for the less fortunate.
According to Salvation Army Captain Teresa Dellamonica, the local Salvation Army is accepting financial donations that will be used to buy $25 food cards for families in Watauga and Avery counties that have qualifying children in need. The food cards will be distributed to families receiving gifts and assistance from Santa’s Toy Box and Reaching Avery Ministries. Send donations in the form of a check made out to “Salvation Army” to: Salvation Army High Country Service Center, 7979 Highway 105 South, Boone, NC 28607. All donations are tax deductible. For more information, call Dellamonica at 828-963-4184.
Volunteers work to prepare the shoebox gifts to be distributed through Operation Christmas Child to millions of children worldwide. Photo submitted
Operation Christmas Child
Although the final collection day for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes was November 23, it is not too late to contribute to the 2009 Samaritan’s Purse effort to brighten the holidays for needy children worldwide.
High Country residents can still bring shoeboxes to the local processing headquarters, located at 801 Bamboo Road in Boone.
“Packing shoeboxes is a good way to get into the Christmas spirit,” said Stacey Wilson, community relations coordinator for Operation Christmas Child.
Giving presents in a shoebox enables a person “to share the joy of Christmas and our Savior with those who may never have received a gift before,” Wilson said.
National Collection Week is held annually the week before Thanksgiving, with more than 2,700 shoebox drop-off locations around the country, but donations are accepted at Samaritan’s Purse offices year-round, Wilson said.
Samaritan’s Purse set its 2009 goal as collecting 5.2 million shoeboxes nationwide and 8.2 million shoeboxes worldwide, she said.
For more information or for shoebox guidelines, click to www.samaritanspurse.org or call 1-800-442-9120.
Toys for Tots
For the first time ever, the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Foundation will feature a toy drop-off in Boone, according to Boone Toys for Tots Coordinator Chris Christenbury. New, unwrapped toys will be collected from now until the week of Christmas at High Country Press, located at 130 North Depot Street in downtown Boone, and at Maurice’s, located in Boone Mall. For more information, click to www.toysfortots.org.
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