Santa Needs Help

Time is running out, and Santa needs your help. Or, in this case, the group that is wanting to help where Santa might not be able to show up this year because some families can’t afford Santa.

Ignite 07, teamed up with the Junior Auxiliary and Toys for Tots; are committed to making this Christmas better for 1300 needy families in our community this year. But to do that, we need your help. We have the food to give, thanks to you. And, Thank You.

What we need now, desperately, are toys for the children. We have a few. A very few. And while we know that food is essential and toys are not, try telling that to a child on Christmas morning. Tell that to a child the first day of school after Christmas break, when he sees and hears about what all of his classmates got.

Imagine his feelings when a classmate asked what he got, and he has to say "nothing" because Santa doesn’t know where he lives. There’s not enough money for Santa to come to his house, so he had to do without at Christmas while other children got their hopes and dreams and wishes fulfilled.

We want to help Santa visit as many homes as possible that might not otherwise be able to buy their children toys. If you have the ability to buy an extra toy or two, please help us out. We are so grateful for those who have already given, but this is a big project, so we need big participation.

We need a minimum of 2500 toys. Yes, we know that’s a lot. But there’s a lot of good people in our community, so we know that we can ask for and receive the help we need.
Toys can be dropped off at the old Riggs building on Lockard Street between 1 and 3 p.m. on December 1 and December 8.

They can also be dropped off during regular business hours at Pathway Church of God or Ruddle Road Church of God. To schedule a pick up, or for more information, you can call Doug Echols at 740-1094; Dwayne Culp at 780-4517 or James Decanter at 740-8156.

I have a child, and I love everything about Christmas. I love fixing up my home, making my son’s favorite holiday snacks and buying the food he likes best that only is available this time of year, like eggnog. I love wrapping his presents and putting them under the tree, and seeing his anticipation about what is under that tree. I love watching him open his gifts and enjoy them, and I love the thrill I get when he throws his arms around my neck and hugs me tight, thanking me for his gifts.

There is another mother in our community that loves her child just as much as I love mine. But she can’t run to the store and pick up her child’s favorite holiday food. She can’t wrap up presents and enjoy the anticipation of watching her child open that gift. She won’t get a hug and a thank you, because her child won’t have a gift to open on Christmas. That is, unless we at Ignite can Unite as a community to do something to help.

We want to make this Christmas the best Christmas our whole community has ever had. We believe we can do it. It’s a big dream, but we have faith. Will you help us? We can do this, with your help.