Christmas charity initiatives underway in tri-counties
There are many projects for people to support
From adopting families and giving trees to numerous social media campaigns, Santa’s elves have been busy in the tri-counties organizing Christmas charity initiatives to help those less fortunate this holiday season.
In eastern Shelburne County, the Shelburne Lions Club Giving Tree Project is underway, with applications for assistance being taken, and giving trees readied for placement in the Shelburne Mall, Enterprise Square, Shelburne Woodworkers, the RBC in Lockeport, and Lock, Stock and Barrell in Lydgate.
Tags placed in the trees have a Christmas wish for a child. People can take the tag, fill it and then return to a bin at the TB!S Store in the Mall, or to the Lions Hall on Buckley Street, said Lion Carol Morash.
Once the deadline passes, usually Dec. 17, “we take all the tags off the trees that are not filled, and we go shopping and fill those tags,” said Morash.
“We do fundraising all year so we can do this. No tags go unfilled. After we get all the shopping done, we do a wrapping day. Volunteers are welcome to come to help.”
The Lions also have an adopta-family program, which is well supported by Shelburne and Lockeport area businesses and organizations. The Shelburne Lions also work with the Queens County Salvation Army, who supply the turkey and trimmings for food hampers. Morash said last year, 53 families and 109 children were helped by the project supporters. Anyone interested in adopting a family or wanting further information can contact Morash at 902 875-4302.
Giving trees are also going up in the Yarmouth and Barrington areas and sponsors are needed for the adopt a family program servicing those areas that is administered by the Yarmouth Salvation Army.
“We already have about five sponsors who have submitted forms to adopt a family so that’s very exciting,” said Captain Melissa Mailman, adding last year 52 sponsors helped 205 families and 248 children.
The program is completely anonymous for the family and sponsor. To adopt a family is costs $80 for the food basket and about $100 per child for toys and gifts that the sponsors would purchase from the gift list provided by the family. Anyone interested in sponsoring a family can email yarmouth@ can.salvationarmy.org or call 902-742-2519.
Mailman said the application process for assistance has begun. People can call 902-7422519 to book a private appointment.
Assistance in the form of warm winter clothing for children is available to families now, said Mailman, through a partnership with the Knights of Columbus and Parents Place. Mailman said the Salvation Army has also formed other community partnerships to help fill the need for the holiday season.
“The Knight of Columbus get the vegetables for our hampers, our sea cadets come and help pack the hampers and carry them out on hamper day. The Lions Club really takes care of our couples; the ones without children - they do probably about 40 hampers. (And) this is the third year for the turkey tree at Canadian Tire,” said Mailman, where customers can pick a tag off the tree for a turkey, bread or milk and scan it with their purchase. Giving trees will be located at Canadian Tire, the Yarmouth Mall and Wilson’s Home Hardware Building Center in Barrington Passage.
The Salvation Army is also kicking off its annual kettle campaign and letter writing campaign. Funds raised are used “to sustain us all year” providing help for things such as prescriptions, glasses, dental care, heating and power and gas for medical appointments. The goal is to raise $100,000.
If people want to volunteer for the kettles in Yarmouth they can call 902-748-2519. In Shelburne anyone wanting to volunteer can contact Mary Ayer at 902875-2171.