The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
BLESSED, BE A BLESSING
Salvation Army of Lorain relieves holiday stress with food, gifts for needy families
About 300 families received help with food and gifts for the holidays on the morning and early afternoon of Dec. 19 at the Salvation Army of Lorain.
Families lined up until it was their turn to collect goods which were gathered and organized for them in the facility’s gymnasium, 2506 Broadway.
The gym had about 600 toys and other Christmas gifts in bags for youngsters, said Salvation Army Lt. Jimmy Susa.
Volunteers, local organizations and members of Salvation Army collected the bags of Christmas gifts for the youngsters when it was a parent’s turn to pick them up.
Families then received a bag full of food from volunteers based on their family size.
“I would love to try and do this every year. I mean, I love giving back.”
— Robert Szababos, 19
Polanksy’s Meat Market in Amherst, Fligners Market in Lorain and Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio supplied the food, said Cassandra Marr, a social worker with the Lorain Salvation Army.
Local bakery Mama Jo Home-style Pies, of Amherst, supplied sweet treats, Marr said.
The service Salvation Army has provided for decades,
she said, is a great feeling to her.
As a social worker for an organization that helps families, Marr said she hears different stories about what families are going through.
She said she hears about people who are struggling daily as they are try to work, pay for their bills and take care of their families.
Marr said Christmas gifts have no choice but to come last on a list of priorities during the holidays for some families that are having a harder time affording
festive goods.
“Being able to ease that and give them a little piece of mind to know ‘at least my kid is going to have something for Christmas,’ it is such a joy to be in the position where you can help someone,” she said.
The Salvation Army provides a service where families don’t have to worry about not having a meal or gifts to open on Christmas Day, Marr said.
“If it wasn’t for the people in the community coming together, this wouldn’t even be possible,” she said.
The gifts given to the families during the collection were donated to the Salvation Army from the community and local organizations.
Marr said gifts were donated based off of forms submitted by families in October and November.
“We start early so that we can have a good turnout,” she said. “And as you can see, the community has pulled together once again.”
John and Siomara Corey, of Lorain, are military veterans from California.
This is their first year the pair partnered with the Salvation Army through help from the Cleveland Clinic.
They said the gifts and food helps with their four sons, Dominic, 12, Angelo, 11, Jacob, 8, and Adrian, 6.
“Having an organization like this, it really helps out at a time where money gets tied up to bills and for Christmas,” John Corey said. “So, when you have someone who can help you out and alleviate some of the stress you have, especially with four kids, it helps out a lot.
“All you have to do is sign up for it, and they make it really easy.”
It’s like organized chaos where people come in and leave, Corey joked.
Robert Szababos, 19, volunteered with family members who are with the Amherst Police Department.
This was Szababos’ first time volunteering and he helped pass out bags of gifts to families while holding a big smile on his face.
“I would love to try and do this every year,” Szababos said. “I mean, I love giving back.”