Holidays cheered by generosity

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Christmas was made brighter for many county children through programs to provide gifts and food for needy families.

Margo Yates, who coordinates Marion’s Community Christmas program, said 55 families were provided with gifts and food this year.

Other families were given boxes of food and some got turkeys for their holiday meals.

Families picked up gifts, wrapping paper, and food boxes Thursday at Marion Community Center.

City employees loaded deliveries of food boxes into the back of a pickup truck to be given out to families.

Hillsboro, Peabody, Goessel, and Florence also shared the holiday spirit.

Hillsboro’s Giving Tree program served 20 families this year. Families picked up their gifts Monday.

The Christmas Giving Tree for the Goessel area helped 12 families this year, coordinator Loretta Weims said.

Peabody’s Christmas gifts were delivered this past weekend by ministers or church members. Rodger Charles, librarian and pastor of Peabody’s First Baptist Church, said 10 families received gifts and food boxes.

An American Legion toy run collected $13,000 worth of presents and cash for organizations that help families over the Christmas season.

“The incredibly hard work that these groups invest in Marion County is essential to many county benevolence groups,” Charles said. “Many utilize the resources rewarded the whole year through. The time and efforts of these groups needed, and still need to be, recognized by Marion County communities. I’m very grateful these groups are not doing it for the recognition; still they should be noticed.

“Hillsboro American Legion and all the bikers and groups involved in putting together and participating in this exceptional project, I thank you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts, your struggles and the obvious heart you have for families who are struggling in Marion County, not just during the holidays, but the whole year through.”