Combined Christmas Giving efforts began with ‘Grandfather Christmas’

NEW WATERFORD — The need in the community continues to grow, and Marjorie Peckham has been there to see it happen.

Peckham, 87, is one of many volunteers who have been helping others in the community have a good Christmas for more than 50 years.

“Way back in the earlier days we’d help 30 or 40 families.” she said. “Now it is 300 to 400.”

“We know there are others way down and out, but don’t come to apply for assistance, (because) they are too proud.”

Peckham said the Salvation Army was always helping families at Christmas, then Lillian Antle from the Church of England got the churches involved in helping the Salvation Army’s efforts.

“I was just going to church then and they asked me to help. So we joined in to help the officers with what they were doing.”

She said at that time they’d go to the former Salvation Army hall and people who needed help would telephone in. One time she remembers hearing a loud pounding on the emergency exit door while taking calls.

“I opened the door and it was a woman wanting to put her name in; she wouldn’t call, but had to talk to me in person. She said they had three kids and had nothing for Christmas for them.” Peckham said the volunteers would gather donations from businesses. “We just did the main street, down to the old five and 10 store. That’s how we did it then.”

“We were doing it for children up to age 12. For the teenagers up to age 16 we’d give them a $10 gift certificate for the old ‘ five and 10’ store.”

Peckham said people in the community would also donate toys.

“When the old toys would come in the men would take them and paint them, fix them up to give them out. “We always had a table where people could pick up something from it.”

Peckham said eventually the United Church also came on board to help with the Christmas project. Then 33 years ago, Jack Tighe, a member of the New Waterford council from 1985-1995, stepped to the plate with an idea. Tighe got all churches, organizations and clubs together with the idea of combining efforts to ensure everyone had a good Christmas. Combined Christmas Giving was formed.

“He’s like Grandfather Christmas,” said Shelly McLellan, chair of Combined Christmas Giving.

McLellan said Tighe’s efforts are what resulted in the enormous efforts now in place. This year, the committee is looking after 300 applications that include 300 children.

“It has blossomed into a major thing in New Waterford,” she said.

“When it comes to the kids he’s our Combined Christmas Giving Santa.” Tighe said he came up with the idea, seeing what was happening in the town.

“Things were not good, there were a lot of people who needed help in a bad way.”

He said the churches were doing what they could, but the need was too enormous, it was hard on them. “It was unbelievable, the need at that time. We needed to do something for the kids.” Tighe remembers a call from a single father in the town.

“He said all he had in his refrigerator was a can of Carnation milk; he had nothing for breakfast for his children.

“I got some money so he could get groceries to hold him over. I called social services the next day to get help for him. We looked after him for Christmas.”

Members of the Combined Christmas Giving campaign are appealing to the public for support for their major fundraisers, an auction dance Saturday at the French Club at 6 p.m. and their telethon, Dec. 7 at the New Waterford fire hall, starting at 2 p.m.