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Spreading Christmas cheer Volunteers help make holiday brighter for area children By Mandy Mahan mmahan@ thepaperofwabash.com
Wabash County Christmas Spirit (WCCS), originally started by John and Ombra Keaffaber by the name of Santa’s Workshop in 1970, has been busy this year working to make sure families and kids in Wabash County have an enjoyable Christmas. Although there are many ways that people can experience joy during the holiday season, this specific organization chooses to spread the joy by purchasing and collecting gifts for less fortunate children and families within the county. The organization lasted for 30 years as Santa’s Workshop, then in 2001 became Operation Elf, which accepted new and gently used items. Now, since 2013, the program is called Wabash County Christmas Spirit and only accepts new items. Families interested in being gift recipients are able to register online. “Our goal is to make sure that no kid goes without at least one Christmas gift,” Ronda Moore, Chair of WCCS, Wabash County Christmas Spirit delivery volunteers dressed to spread Christmas spirit in a past told The Paper of Wabash County. year. Robby Watson is dressed as Buddy the Elf (left) and Randy Hall is dressed as Jolly the Elf The organization spends $40 per child. (right). Photo provided. The first round of registrants is distributed to tag sites. 9 a.m. People interested in volunteering simply must show up at New Journey “The public can go and take a tag, shop for the items “registered for” Church, 1721 N. Vernon St., Door 4, sign a confidentiality agreement, and help delivand then bring those back to us,” said Moore. “This takes a huge financial er gifts. burden off of us because they are paying for those items. Like many businesses and organizations, WCCS has seen some changes to their Whatever tags don’t get shopped for from those tag sites and or program this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. late registrations are what we as an organization shop and “One of the biggest is that a lot of our opportunities to apply for funding were pay for. Last year we spent $23,000. We are a donation- taken away because events simply weren’t happening,” said Moore. “We asked for based organization. We get support from local busi- our tag sites if possible to take on more tags to help ease the financial burden off of nesses, grants, and fundraisers held by various us because we were lower on funds to begin with than ever before and were very organizations.” worried that funding wouldn’t come in. The organization is now in the end stages of “Several places stepped up and took on more than normal which helped us the 2020 program. In total there have been tremendously. We have not allowed volunteers at our location like normal due to three community shopping days where vol- COVID, so the committee — six to eight of us — unteers shop for gifts. has taken on all of that work amongst ourStill needed are volunteers to deliver selves. We also are making our “pick-up” days gifts on Saturday, Dec. 12, beginning at Continued on Page 8
Sounds of the season Salvation Army seeks bell ringers Officials from Salvation Army have announced that they are in desperate need of two volunteers to deliver and pick up kettles and deposit money to the bank between up until Christmas. The Kettles are set up at Walmart and Kroger. All money collected stays in Wabash County and is what is used for the following year to help families in the county. If interested in volunteering, please contact the Salvation Army office at 260-274-0027, leave a message and wait for a call back. Bell ringers are also needed to help raise money for families in Wabash County with their electricity, if up for disconnect; rent, if up for eviction; prescriptions, hotel stays and gasoline. To sign up to be a bell ringer, visit registertoring.com and choose your location, day, and time to ring; or by calling Deborah at 260-563-8970 to register. Ringing will be at Walmart and Kroger in Wabash and Neighborhood Fresh, previously New Market, in North Manchester. School organizations are also being asked to take some time
December 9, 2020
to give back to the community. Volunteering for Salvation Army can go towards service hours. Churches or organizations can also sign up to volunteer for a whole or half day. Amount of money is kept track of. This year, there will be four different to donate money this year: Drop money into the big Kettles at Walmart, Kroger, and Neighborhood Fresh. Scar the barcode on the Big Kettles that will direct to a site where donations can be made online. Drop money into smaller counter kettles that will be placed at various businesses. Write a check to Salvation Army and mail it to 477 North Wabash Street, Wabash, Ind. 46992. Salvation Army is a part of the Wabash Area Ministerial Association and a United Fund Agency.
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Vol. 43, No. 38