Annual chocolate sale benefits local shelter for domestic violence victims

Red, pink, love, hearts, teddy bears, roses, and chocolate. What do these things all have in common? Valentine's Day!

For one local charity, Valentine's Day is the marker for a special local fund-raisers.

Council on Families in Crisis will once again host their annual Valentine's Day Chocolate Sale.

According to Martha Sander, Executive Director, this will be the 10th year for the sale.

The idea for the annual fund-raiser was a suggestion from someone in the community. Sander said the agency was looking for something to do around Valentine's Day to promote love instead of violence in the home. This seemed like a good idea. The first sale was held in 1999 at the City-County Community Center in Nevada. It was deemed successful and has been repeated every year.

The agency accepts donations of chocolate and baked goods. The chocolate items donated may be either homemade or purchased. Sander said people come looking for pre-packaged chocolates as well as the homemade goodies. Overall, she thinks more people look for the variety of homemade items. Typically, the agency has homemade items such as fudge, brownies, cookies, cakes, pies, chocolate balls, chocolate suckers, and molded chocolates.

"We really never know exactly what we will have because people can be so creative with their ideas. But one thing is for sure, there are some great cooks in our six-county area!"

Sander also noted that they have non-chocolate items for sale as well as sugar-free goodies. When asked what the agency needed most for the sale to be successful, Sander stated, "We need two things for our sale to be successful. We need donated chocolate and we need people to purchase the goodies!" Donations of chocolate, either pre-packaged or homemade, can be dropped off at Katherine's Place, 415 N. Main, Nevada, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12, or 8 a.m.-- 4 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13.

"We can package and price the goodies so people don't have to worry about that when they bring their donations," Sander said.

The sale will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13, and Thursday, Feb. 14, at two locations. Chocolate will be available at Katherine's Place, 415 N. Main, Nevada on both days, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Goodies will also be available for purchase at Woods Supermarket on Austin Boulevard, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Wednesday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Thursday.

Sander noted that free deliveries are available within a three-mile radius of the city. "This is a great way for a boss or business owner to call us up and have some homemade chocolate delivered to their employees. And, of course, every woman loves to get chocolate from her beau."

Proceeds from the event will support Moss House, a local shelter for battered women and their children. The shelter is operational 24-hours a day with a 24-hour toll-free crisis hotline, (800) 398-4271.

Sander said the agency serves about 300 families a year and the funds are greatly needed.

"This fund-raiser is very important to our agency and a great way to support our work. Valentine's Day is time for love, not violence," Sander said.