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November 5, 2009

Children’s Tree gives holiday joy to kids in need

Anonymous The Jacksonville Daily Progress Thu Nov 05, 2009, 07:03 PM CST

Three local women started the Children’s Christmas Tree in 1985, and my family continues the tradition. Each year we receive hundreds of applications for kids whose families need some extra help to make Christmas more merry.

These people are usually single parents, grandparents raising a grandchild, a household where the main supporter was laid off, or something similar. They’re all just people who need a little extra help at the holiday.

About 200 or more kids every year whose Christmas is made happier because of those who adopt them.

We’ve helped members of our own community when they’ve met hardships — like a firefighter whose house burned down one year. Instead of helping us find those kids who lost their homes to fire, his kids needed our help.

We’ve also helped folks who have passed through town and needed our help to get gifts for their children. One year, a truck driver’s rig broke down on Christmas Eve. His family was traveling with him, and there was no way they would get home for Christmas and the gifts waiting there. A local pastor asked us to help, and we did — we even found Santa and his wife to help deliver the gifts to the family’s hotel room!

But beyond the people who receive gifts, parents have told me they use this program to teach their children the joy of giving by letting them chose a name and pick gifts that they wanted for that child. People whose children are grown do it for the joy of buying for little ones. Others do it because they love Christmas and the spirit of it.

Then there are other acts of generosity, like the year we still had 90 unadopted children left and only $900 to spend on them all. One woman who wanted to help adopted five of those kids, but when she heard we still had so many in need, she and her husband gave us $2,000. Although she asked to remain anonymous, she’ll always be one of our angels.

I have worked on this project in one form or another since 1985 and thoroughly enjoy it. No matter what the reason for supporting this project we truly appreciate all the support.

This year’s application day will be Saturday, 1-4 p.m. at the Senior Center, 302 Bolton St. This is the only time we’ll take applications. Applicants are then checked for income, level of need, and in some case verification of employment. Once they are approved their names are placed on the local trees for adoption.

We’ll then depend on the generous spirit of the people of Jacksonville to once again choose children from the trees that will be placed in the banks around town. They will be in place by Thanksgiving.

Each child’s clothing sizes, needs and wants will be listed — I ask everyone who can to buy the gifts listed for these kids and make their Christmas merry. No child should have to do without on Christmas morning. Please help us make sure none of ours do.

Bobbie Haight

Jacksonville

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