Charitable programs need help
Donations to area organizations provide assistance to familiesBy Patrick Cooley, pcooley@mariettatimes.com
Fact Box
How to Help:
Donations of money or toys can be made at the Salvation Army's main office at 136 Front St., Marietta. For more information, call 373-4043.
Red kettles for donations will be placed at various stores throughout the Marietta and Belpre area, including Wal-Mart, Kroger, Big Lots and Food-4-Less.
To sponsor a child or make a donation for Washington/Morgan Community Action's Secret Santa program, call Sherry Rhodes at 373-3745, ext. 209.
Even with a slumping economy, the number of applicants to a local Secret Santa program have seen a decline from last year and applications for the Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program increased slightly.
Washington/Morgan County Community Action's Secret Santa program connects children in lower-income families to donors who buy them Christmas presents. Angel Tree provides gift and food baskets to under-privileged families
"The numbers haven't been finalized yet, but we are definitely up from last year," said Karen Chamberlain, assistant pastor of the Salvation Army in Marietta. "We have about 20 more applications."
Angel Tree applicants were allowed to ask for a Christmas basket, a food basket or both, and must fill out a lengthy application to qualify.
Chamberlain said donations to Angel Tree have been slow for the last few months, but have picked up with the onset of the Christmas season, and they do not anticipate any problems.
Money for the Angel Tree program will be collected in the familiar red kettles, manned by bell ringers at various stores around Marietta and Belpre. Donations can also be made at the Salvation Army's main office on 136 Front St. in Marietta.
Sherry Rhodes, the sponsor applicant coordinator for Community Action's Secret Santa program, said she does not know why the number of applications decreased from 993 in 2007 to 913 this year.
Children 12 and younger from families within 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline are eligible for the program.
So far, more than a third of the Secret Santa applicants have been sponsored, either by Community Action or outside donors.
Every sponsor gets a wish list, with the name, gender and clothing sizes of the child for whom they are shopping. Sponsors are not required to purchase the items on the list, which is simply a starting point, Rhodes said. They can also buy clothing and other necessary items if they so choose.
Those who do not wish to sponsor a child directly can donate money and toys.
Cathy Rees, who organizes the Secret Santa program, said donations started slow but are starting to pick up.
"At first we were concerned that we wouldn't have enough sponsorship or donations," she said. "But now I'm confident we'll be able to sponsor all of the children."
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Johanna
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11-29-08 8:19 PM
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No blogs for this disappoints me!! This is an awesome thing that people do to help out!!! I am very happy to hear that all of the children will be sponsored! I know that when I picked up our kids names, one of the great employees said that they take all of the names not taken and finish the tree!!! She is an asset to the community then and it is a Great store!!!
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