By PETER HUSSMANN
Due to my involvement with the St. Nick's Christmas Club, I'm forecasting a light week of posts, though I'll make an effort to get something posted everyday.
Club members are putting the final touches on this year's program that includes 225 Jasper County families with 525 kids. As I write, club shoppers are out in force making purchases of toys and clothing for the 70 kids who had yet to be "adopted" as of last Saturday.
Meanwhile, organization for the distribution is well under way. Inventories are being conducted on each of the gifts for the recipients and supplemental shopping is being done to meet any shortfalls found. Later this week a massive package shift will be conducted and our distribution hall organized into rows upon rows of packages placed in numerical order. Bicycles will dot the room.
And then there's the food. Later this week, club members, with the wonderful assistance of Fareway, Liz Dodd and family, along with workers at Black Hills Energy, will pick and make individual food boxes for each of the 225 families containing canned hams, 10-pound bags of potatoes, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, bread, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, mac and cheese and pudding and jello for dessert.
Friday's the big day. Program participants will come pick up their packages and food boxes and club members will help tote them to their cars. (For the five or so of us left from the original group who started this program more than 20 years ago, we are so happy to have finally thought of this process (duh) rather than what we used to do - hand deliver the bags and food to each participant's home.)
Anyway, I would like to thank all who have helped with the process. The club welcomed two new members this year (Trudy and Marty you know who you are) who have been a godsend in helping us shop this year. (Not as easy as it sounds when you're buying clothing, socks and underwear, along with toys, for say 25 kids at a crack.)
And I'd also like to thank the Jasper County community. Without your help we couldn't do this. Whether it be through your "adoption" of an individual child, a family or a financial contribution (St. Nick's Christmas Club, P.O. Box 162, Newton, Iowa, 50208) your assistance is greatly appreciated.
It's been a tough year, both from the number of families seeking assistance to the financial pressure the group faces in pulling this Christmas program off. Somehow, club members remind themselves each year as the stress builds toward the final frantic days, it always works out. And it does because of the character of the community in which we live.
Yes, Jasper County, there is a Santa Claus!
