Christmas Friends wrappers volunteering at the Southside Sentinel Tuesday afternoon include, from left, Marsha Taylor, Sheila Koldenhoven, Shirley Wagner, Ann Padgett, Gail Butler and Brenda Oliva. (Photo by Don Richeson)
With only 10 days remaining before Christmas Friends gifts will be making their way to the homes of needy children and seniors in Middlesex, volunteer help is urgently needed in every facet of the program.
SHOPPING: An additional group of children and adults were referred last week from the Middlesex County Department of Social Services and about eight more volunteer shoppers are needed to fulfill these wish lists. The list of earlier enrolled shoppers has been exhausted, so please contact Geanie Longest at the Southside Sentinel if you can help during the next few days.
WRAPPING: Bags of gifts have been rolling into the Sentinel office following the Thanksgiving holiday, and there is a good chance that many more will be arriving later this week and into the next. The new shoppers will require more time to get their purchases completed and returned to the Sentinel wrapping room. There are spaces available tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday. Please check ChristmasFriends.org to sign up online or contact Fred Gaskins at the Sentinel if you can help.
DELIVERY: Five vans with seats stowed away or removed, or pickup trucks with covered beds, are still needed for delivery Saturday morning, Dec. 14. Each will need a driver and a navigator, plus other vehicles already promised may need five more navigators. Detailed maps will be provided for 12 regions of the county. Deliveries begin at 9 a.m. and are completed well before noon. If you can help, please contact Fred Gaskins or Geanie Longest at the Sentinel.
Sentinel office manager Geanie Longest can be reached at 804-758-2328, ext. 101, or email her at glongest@ssentinel.com. Fred Gaskins can be reached at 804-761-0786 or via email to fred@rapprecord.com.
“Thank you to all our Christmas Friends volunteers, who have kept the local charity going for 39 years now. It can’t operate without you,” said Christmas Friends Inc. president Fred Gaskins.
ChristmasFriends.org also contains a link for those who wish to donate funds through PayPal or a credit card. Donations can also be brought to the Sentinel office at 276 Virginia St. in Urbanna or mailed to Christmas Friends Inc., c/o Southside Sentinel, P.O. Box 549, Urbanna, VA 23175.
Monetary contributors are recognized as Christmas Friends and their donations are listed weekly in the Sentinel. Contributors who wish to remain anonymous should request that their donations be listed as such. Memorial contributions also will be acknowledged.
Donations received through Dec. 3 total $8,270.
Recent donations include:
- In loving memory of George Throckmorton, by Carol Throckmorton, $100.
- In loving memory of our mothers, Donna Jean Hill and Paula M. Mathews, $100.
- Forest Chapel UMC, $500.
- Anonymous, $100.
- Anonymous, $300.
- Clark and Catherine Henley, $300.
- In memory of loved ones. Given by the Revere family, $100.
- Linda and Fred Edwards, $250.
- Low Tide, $150.
- Dedicated to the Monday SCAT Group, $100.
- Carousel Physical Therapy Inc., $400.
- In memory of Justin Wyatt from grandparents, Kenny and Bernice Wyatt, $100.
- Gary and Deborah Cook, $100.
- In memory of Jason Haley by Rob and Shannon, $100.
- Greg and Gayle Chambers, $750.
- Given in memory of Bob and Clair Cook by Su and Dave Lively, $100.
- Middlesex Kiwanis Foundation, $750.
- The Middlesex County Woman’s Club Inc. $150.
- Men’s Berean Class of Zoar Baptist Church, $100.
- Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center, $75.
Previous total: $3,645.
Total this week: $4,625.
