As decorations for fall and Halloween fade away, Christmas is once again right around the corner, and the volunteers of Christmas Friends Inc. are preparing for their 39th year of making the season brighter for needy children and elderly or disabled adults in Middlesex County.
Organized by the Southside Sentinel and the Middlesex County Department of Social Services, Christmas Friends expects to provide gifts for up to 300 children and elderly adults this year and has set a fundraising goal of $32,000.
“That allows us to spend a little more than $100 per client on average,” noted Christmas Friends president Fred Gaskins, “which doesn’t go far in our current economy. We would like to increase that amount next year, so please be generous.”
Since its beginning, Christmas Friends has been one of the most unique holiday season charities anywhere. All clients are referred by Social Services and they are allowed to submit a personal “wish list” of desired gifts such as toys, games, clothes, etc. Volunteer shoppers get the lists and try their best to fulfill some of the wishes using donated funds. Volunteer wrappers do their job and then volunteer delivery crews take the gifts to individual homes throughout the county.
How you can help:
Volunteers make the Christmas Friends world go around, and you are invited to join in this rewarding work. Many previous shoppers have been contacted and are awaiting their wish lists, but more shoppers are now needed. Please call Sentinel office manager Geanie Longest at 804-758-2328, ext. 101, or email her at glongest@ssentinel.com to sign up.
Be a gift wrapper. Wrapping sessions will be scheduled on most weekdays at the Sentinel office in Urbanna. Adequate space is available for a maximum of five wrappers. Look for the link next week on ChristmasFriends.org where you can pick a day to wrap.
Help deliver the gifts. Normally there are 12 delivery routes in the county, which means 12 vehicles are needed, each with a driver and assistant. You can also contact Longest if you have a large van capable of holding approximately 25 “contractor” size bags of gifts and are willing to be its driver for one of the routes on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The ideal van is a Chrysler or Dodge with stowaway rear seats, or similar size vans with seats that can be completely removed. “Full size” SUVs (such as a Chevy Suburban) have also been used successfully. Most regular size SUVs do not have enough space for all the bags.
Full size pick-up trucks with a covered cargo area are also suitable.
How to donate
Contributors will be recognized as Christmas Friends and their donations will be listed weekly in the Southside Sentinel. Contributors who wish to remain anonymous should request that their donations be listed as such. Memorial contributions also will be acknowledged.
Checks should be made payable to Christmas Friends Inc. and mailed to P.O. Box 549, Urbanna, VA 23175 or brought to the Sentinel office at 276 Virginia St., Urbanna.
To donate online using PayPal or a credit card, go to ChristmasFriends.org.
Donations received through Nov. 12 total $1,300 and include:
- Chuck and Barie Carmichael, $100.
- Dale Waldrop, $100.
- Helen and Leo Richardson Charitable Trust, $500.
- Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center, $600.
