Tuesday, December 23, 1997
Abilenians have ample opportunity to give this
season
By JERRY DANIEL REED Senior Staff Writer
Abilene affords no lack of opportunities to experience one
of the great joys of the season, that of giving.
Two days before Christmas, you can still help a child's face
light up at the sight of a new toy under the Christmas tree, help
a family enjoy Christmas dinner or put a warm garment on a youngster's
back.
Collectively, Goodfellows and Toys for Tots will present thousands
of children with new toys this Christmas. Goodfellows is about
$9,000 shy of its $50,000 goal with two days left in the campaign.
Toys for Tots volunteers will hand out more than 10,000 toys
today, starting at 8:30 a.m., in the old Wal-Mart building, 3202
S. Clack.
"Last year's total contributions were 11,000 toys,"
said Chief Warrant Officer Jose Torres, who heads the Marines'
effort. "This year, we've already surpassed that," he
said.
You can still contributed to Toys for Tots, however, to make
possible distribution of more toys to children on a supplemental
list before Christmas.
Goodfellows also provides clothing to children on the toys
list, and a Christmas food basket for the families of each.
The Salvation Army and local Marine Corps reserve unit volunteers
work together to run the Toys for Tots campaign. Connected to
that campaign is the Christmas Angel Tree campaign, which enlists
sponsors for Toys for Tots beneficiaries.
This year, Elliott-Hamil Funeral Homes joined the Salvation
Army and other businesses in sponsoring the Angel Tree campaign.
Shoppers who walk by an Angel Tree in the Mall of Abilene are
urged to "adopt" a child and buy a new article of clothing.
"We still have over 400 children who did not get 'adopted,'
" said Capt. Eddie Alonzo, commander of the Salvation Army.
The good news, however, is that there's still time.
And of course, the Salvation Army's bell ringers will stand
beside their kettles outside many Abilene shops right up until
the last lock-up before Christmas.
Alonzo said that the kettle campaign goal is about $65,000,
and a direct mail appeal is expected to raise more than $100,000,
with proceeds from both going to fund the Salvation Army's $850,000
budget for the whole year.
The Salvation Army also offers free Christmas trees to families
that can't afford them, and a Christmas meal for the hungry, the
homeless and the lonely - people who don't have anyone to spend
Christmas with. Hours are 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Christmas Day at
the Salvation Army headquarters, 1726 Butternut.
"Everyone and anyone is invited to come, no strings attached,"
he said.
Among other Christmas appeals is a food drive for the Food
Bank. Shoppers at most Abilene supermarkets are being asked to
contribute a dollar above their total food bill to donate to the
Food Bank. The campaign has topped its goal of 172,000 pounds
of food by 29,000 pounds, as of Monday, said executive director
Nancy Gibson.
Harmony Family Services will auction off three copies of Sing
and Snore Ernie, one of this season's hot toys, to help raise
funds to buy presents for 60 Harmony residents, mostly teen-agers.
Auction hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. today. You can call in your
bid by phone at 672-8820.
The Noah Project also raised a few hundred dollars last week
by raffling off two large backyard playhouses, one each constructed
by the building trades classes of Abilene and Cooper high schools.
The funds will go to day-to-day operations of the shelter for
victims of family violence.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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