Holiday programs nearing final stages
By Kathy Thomson
Christmas is less than a week away, and with the help of generous donors, several local organizations are working to help make sure that everyone in Shackelford County has a Merry Christmas.
Food Drive
ResourceCare program assistant Ragan Riley has requested donations of non-perishable food items in time for the upcoming holiday.
“We would like to anyone who is able to do so, to donate non-perishable food items that we can distribute to those in need this Christmas season,” she said.
Members of Albany’s Student Council decided to help collect food items, and they went door to door in Albany last Wednesday, asking for donations.
Six groups of students took part, and they brought back several boxes of food to donate to the Resource Care Food Pantry.
“I am pleased with what was collected,” said student council sponsor Donnie Lucas. “I had thought it would be more, but it was good for a start. This was the first time for us to do a food drive.”
Toys For Tots
Parents who applied for Toys for Tots should have picked up their kids’ presents at the Youth Center earlier this week, on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
“The Toys for Tots that were not picked up on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week will be moved to ResourceCare,” said program director Mindy Ary on Tuesday.
Anyone who was unable to come by during the designated pick-up time should contact the Resource Center at 325-762-2447 to arrange to get their gifts.
“We were able to get around four gifts for each child on my lists, and also a stocking stuffer,” said Marine SSgt. Doug Beaty, coordinator of the local Toys for Tots program. “I even had enough gifts to leave some extra presents at ResourceCare when I dropped off the toys, in case they had some last minute requests.”
Beaty is assisted in the local toy drive by Albany High National Honor Society members, who help provide a fundraising meal and gather toys, and local merchants who agree to set up donation boxes in their stores.
Beaty said that this year he emptied the toy collection boxes at the Dollar Store on three different occasions, and the boxes were full each time.
“We’ve also collected a couple of hundred dollars from the money collection boxes, which was added to the $769 we raised at the fundraising meal,” he said. “We’ve been blessed this year! Shackelford County should be well taken care of.”
Toys for Tots provides gifts to underprivileged children ages newborn to sixth grade.
This year a total of 76 elementary aged children from Albany and Moran were registered for the gifts, according to Ary.
Adopt-a-Senior
Wrapped gifts for all 40 of the seniors served by Vittles by Vehicle were delivered with the VBV meals on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Adopt-a-Senior provides practical Christmas gifts such as cleaning supplies, bed sheets, and towels to the senior adults on the VBV list.
Believe Trees
This year 45 teens were included on the “Believe Tree for Teens” program sponsored by the Albany Ministerial Alliance.
Parents of enrolled teens should have picked up their child’s gifts on Wednesday (yesterday) at The Feed Store.
Anyone who was unable to come by during the designated pick-up time can call The Feed Store at 325-762-4960 to arrange to get their teen’s gifts.
The Believe Trees are similar to Angel Trees, and enable community members to pick an ornament with an attached Christmas wish list for a local teenager, shop for items on the list, and then return the purchased gifts with a member of the Alliance. The gifts are wrapped, labeled, and picked up by the teen’s parents.
Christmas Baskets
Each year members of the Albany Ministerial Alliance provide Christmas Baskets filled with the ingredients needed for a traditional holiday meal to Shackelford County families in need of assistance.
Donations for the holiday meals can be handed to any of the ministers in the Alliance or mailed to the Ministerial Alliance at PO Box 3084, Albany, Texas 76430.
Volunteers are needed to help deliver the baskets this Sunday, Dec. 22.
For more information see the related article in this edition of The Albany News.
