CHRISTMAS ANGEL PROJECT A SUCCESS
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008 -- 9:32 AM
Times are tough, but dozens of area families are getting help from the Christmas Angel Project.There?s a nice story about the program in today?s Marshfield News Herald.
Cathy Schnabel of Granton says the Project has delivered presents to 277 children and 108 families in the Neillsville, Granton, Humbird and Chili areas alone this year.
"We get referrals from Social Services, Head Start," Schnabel says, "We ended up with many referrals from the schools...we also get a lot of help from the food pantry."
Food was especially important this year. The Project purchased around $3,000 of food from Marty's and Bob and Caryl's IGA.
Schnabel estimates nearly 300 volunteers work to fulfill the request. Area businesses and groups help, too.
"As the numbers come in, we put that information out on Christmas trees all around Neillsville. Memorial Medical Center is very big into helping us. Pamida is also wonderful. We got a $1,000 gift card from them this year," she says.
And while they always try to include fun presents for the kids, necessities, such as food, warm clothes and shoes are priorities.
"Last Saturday, we had some families come in and pick their gifts up, that's very fulfilling. One child looked at the person delivering and said, 'they brought food, mom'. Food is a very big need this time of year," Schnabel notes.
A number of groups help with the project, including Thrivent Financial and the United Way. Pamida Department Store, Marty's Foods and IGA Grocery Store, Lions Club, Kiwanis, 4-H Clubs, Rotary Club, Lynn Dairy, Cub Scouts, Memorial Medical Center, Toys for Tots (Marshfield), Neillsville Fire Department, local banks and area churches.
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