The coordinators of local holiday drives report the threat of COVID-19 didn’t squelch the spirit of giving, it spread it.
Cindy Lammers, coordinator of Operation Santa headquartered out of the Moose Family Center in Rice Lake, shared that generosity was on full display despite the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.
“It turned out really well,” Lammers said. “We helped 92 families with a bigger number of kids. The best thing I can tell you is that we had better donations than usual — both monetary and giftwise. It seems like this year people were very caring, even those who had never helped before. Their spirit was there. It’s been such a tough year for so many, but nobody was left out. I can’t say enough about how giving people were.”
Sherry Shipman, co-coordinator with Lori Lund of the Spirit of Christmas drive, said, “Congratulations for all the help received this year with all the issues of COVID, loss of employment and health issues.
“With the community support, 156 families were given warm clothing, with many of you shopping for our families so that 449 children had a much brighter Christmas than they expected.”
Shipman added, “Bethany Lutheran Church supplied all the ingredients for a special holiday meal. Many of our businesses joined forces in making sure that all the applicants were sponsored.”
She acknowledged Farm and Fleet for supplying toys for children in the program and the following who adopted families: Marshfield Clinic, Lakeview Medical Center, Quanex, Jenkins Realty, many area churches, Gilligans, Cooper Engineering and several schools and families.
“Many individual families shopped for people they didn’t know, instead of their own families,” Shipman said. “I believe this was the most rewarding year I have ever seen. People put the less fortunate ahead of their own and felt the true meaning of Christmas. May you all have a very happy and safe 2021.”
January 20, 2021 at 10:44PM
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Holiday drives were heaped with gifts of generosity - Ashland Daily Press
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