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Holiday giveaway serves hundreds
It's been a local tradition and what seems like a long time coming this year, but the White Christmas Food Drive spearheaded by Community Outreach is finally done for the year. More than 150 families began arriving at the National Guard Armory at the corner of Cherry and Prewitt streets in Nevada early on the morning of Tuesday in spite of the cloudy, chilly weather.
Several community organizations participated in the event, but it was made possible only through the generosity of the people, businesses and organizations of entire Nevada and Vernon County communities. For some time now the community has been donating food items, coats, toys and cash to different groups so they could make this year's White Christmas a success. And it has been, according to Community Outreach Director, Barbara Long.
Long's sentiments were echoed by others who worked to make the drive as good as it ever has been. The Lions Club of Nevada took over the Teen Angel program and this year they "were able to provide for everyone who needs assistance," said club president Jason Claspill. The program provides toys for children 13 to 18 years of age and those up to 21-years-old if they are disabled; several members were on hand to dfistribute toys Tuesday morning.
The Vernon County Ambulance District was also on hand to give toys to 400 children. Their effort began at the end of last year's drive and included several fundraising events. According to James McKenzie, VCAD director, the haunted house that VCAD put on this year was a big success and went a long way toward helping the drive hit its target of $10,000. The ambulance district actually has a little money left over and McKenzie said it will be deposited as "seed money" for next year's drive. McKenzie also said that in all the years they have been doing this, the community always comes through.
As the line outside moved into the building a dozen people at a time, the Nevada High School student council members helped them gather their food items and in some cases, toys and coats. The students then helped recipients get their boxes or sacks back to their vehicles. The student council had also taken part in the drive by organizing their own food drive at the high school that gathered in more than 2000 food items. "I am proud of them," said council advisor Deidre Bruce. The sophomores and the seniors really got into the spirit of things."
This year's food drive made Christmas a little brighter for several hundred people in the area. The kind of people receiving help is just about an even split between families and single seniors, said Long. She regretted the fact that many more could not be helped, because even though they struggle, they do not meet eligibility guidelines which are often determined by the amount of food stamps they receive.