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A little longer for a miracle
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Thursday, December 15, 2011 1:57 AM EST
Final push wraps up Christmas Is For Kids drive
ATTLEBORO - All 950 children on the Christmas Is For Kids gift drive
will no doubt have their wish lists completed - but not without a lot of
extra effort from the drive's elves, and perhaps a little more help
from the community.
Wednesday night was the last night of the
extended hours of the donor center, after Saturday's scheduled last day
left the wish lists of 100 children still to be completed.
The
community rallied to the cause the past three days of the extended
drive, but organizer Kelly Fox and her legion of about 150 volunteers,
called elves, still had much work to do to wrap things up in order to
get the promised gifts to the parents of each child on the list.
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Christmas Is For Kids volunteer Bill Jones
checks bags of gifts at the old Brennan Middle School Wednesday. (Photos
by Mike George)
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"Today, we had probably 20 shoppers out all over the place," Fox said at the close of the donor center Wednesday.
"We've
had quite a few monetary donations come in that allowed us to be able
to get out and do some shopping for the kids who had not received
anything. Plus, we had quite a few phone calls between late last night
and today, and we were able to match up the last of the children. And,
between the donors who are shopping for children and the money that's
come in, we're just doing the last-minute scramble."
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Christmas Is For Kids director Kelly Fox helps sort toys on Wednesday.
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Despite the fact that the drive had been started a week earlier this
year in the hope of avoiding the last-minute panic of getting it all
done, Fox said that circumstances due to tough economic times got in the
way.
"Although we have a lot of donors, it didn't seem that as
many people were really able to do clothes and toys for a child, so it
took more donors to complete a child's wishes and that just makes it
harder," she said. "It makes it more complicated at our end, but it also
means that we need so many more people to help out because maybe
someone could just do the toys or just do the clothes or maybe not even
all of the toys or all of the clothes, so it might take three or four
donors to match up to finish one child, whereas a couple of years ago,
it would probably take just one donor for one child.
Donors
waiting until the last minute to drop off gifts also makes it tough on
those trying to put it altogether at the donor center, according to Fox.
"Obviously
we appreciate whatever someone can do, but if they didn't show up until
Saturday, and they had just done a little bit, then we didn't know if
that child was going to be completed until the donor walked in the
door."
To help make sure that Fox and her elves are able to
purchase every gift still needed, Fox says people can still make
monetary donations at Rockland Trust in Attleboro or North Attleboro or
drop off general items at the donor center, located at 135 County St.,
in the original Attleboro High School building, during the day on
Friday, where elves will be back at work beginning at 9 a.m.
The donor line phone number is 508-226-0911.
Janette Boulay can be reached at 508-406-1217 or by e-mail at janette.boulay@gmail.com.
Drive's goal within sight as all but 20 kids have donors
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 2:00 AM EST
ATTLEBORO - More progress was made Tuesday night in the extended
portion of the Christmas Is For Kids drive, with only 20 of the more
than 100 children who were remaining to be matched when the drive ended
Saturday still looking for gifts.
"A lot of people came in with
gift cards and cash or checks," said Kelly Fox, the president of the
Attleboro Council for Children, which organizes the drive, but some help
is still needed.
"I'm not breathing easy yet," Fox said. "It's going to be very tight."
At
the end of the drive Tuesday night, in fact, Fox and her elves were
busy making lists of items they needed to shop for to complete the lists
of the 20 children not yet matched with donors, and possibly the 11
children on the waiting list.
More than 50 of those children were
matched in the last 24 hours, as 77 children had remained without
donors when the center closed on Monday night.
To help complete the lists of the remaining children, Fox says for
anyone who would just like to buy something, basic items such as balls
and gift cards to places such as Game Stop and Simon Properties malls
such as Emerald Square in North Attleboro still would be much
appreciated.
Fox said quite a few people came in Monday with
general gifts they purchased to help fill in the gaps, and she said the
remaining donors have been contacted, and she is confident they will
come through over the new few days.
The donor center, located at
135 County St., in the original Attleboro High School building, will be
open from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight, and possibly on Friday, but definitely
not on Thursday as the elves will be tending to another important part
of the drive.
The donor line phone number is 508-226-0911.
More time for kids
BY JUDEE COSENTINO FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Sunday, December 11, 2011 1:45 AM EST
Many unmatched, deadline extended
ATTLEBORO - The area's largest gift drive, Christmas Is For Kids,
is having to do something it's only done a few times in its 28-year
history: extend the drive a few more days in hopes of getting donors to
turn in gifts already pledged, and to match more than 100 children with
gifts.
Kelly Fox, the president of the Attleboro Area Council for
Children, the drive's organizer, said Saturday night that 110 children
remain to be matched with donors, with 11 more on a waiting list out of
the 950 who wound up on the drive's roster. In addition, she said, there
are still 30 children waiting for gifts pledged by 18 donors to be
dropped off at the donor center at the old Brennan Middle School.
As
a result, the donor center at 135 County St., will be open this Monday
through Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. to allow those who have pledged gifts
to drop off their donations, and to find matches for the other
children. People who can help should call the donor center at
508-226-0911, Fox said.
"When Thursday night rolls around, and
I've got a bag for every single child, that's when it'll be a Christmas
miracle," Fox added.
Although Christmas Is For Kids has fulfilled
the needs of most of the children, Fox said she regrets that there are
families waiting for matches.
"We've got a lot of kids we still need to buy for, and we don't want anyone to go without," said Fox.
Earlier on Saturday, the donor center was bustling with activity.
The
donations came in waves even before the doors opened at 9 a.m. Saturday
- the last official day of donations for needy area children.
More
than 100 volunteers rushed from one task to another, sorting toys in
accordance to the each of the 950 "story sheets," which details what
each particular child wants or needs for Christmas. The sheets were then
matched to donors who pledged to give a specific item to a certain
child.
"I get a chill every time I walk in here," said Fox as she
stepped into the library, which served as a staging area for the
countless bags of toys awaiting children who might not have had anything
under the Christmas tree this year.
The library was not the only
room in the school crowded with bags of toys. Other rooms on the second
floor temporarily housed dozens of bags, each room according to the
several area community agencies that Christmas Is For Kids works with to
make sure the children are taken care of. Those agencies include The
Literacy Center, the Young Parents program, the Department of Children
and Families and the Journey Home program.
Many of the rooms were so full that it was nearly impossible to walk
through. One room in particular moved Fox to tears: the New Hope Program
room.
"I can't wrap my head around that part," Fox whispered. "They all break my heart."
Early
in the afternoon, it was all hands on deck as the South Attleboro Lions
Club dropped off enough donation bags to fill five rolling bins. An
hour later, another donor brought in $750 worth of general donations,
one bag of which contained children's socks - exactly what some
volunteers realized earlier that they were lacking.
"Isn't it fantastic?" five-year volunteer Rick Carlson said.
North
Attleboro residents Sue Gilmore and Tracey Carlson have been processing
applications together for the past three years, working 25 hours a
week, Mondays through Fridays, and even some Saturdays.
Both women look forward to seeing the joyful tears of needy families Distribution Day.
"It's
incredible how people can survive on so little," said Gilmore, who has
been a volunteer for six years. "They're absolutely amazing."
Christmas Is For Kids ending today
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Saturday, December 10, 2011 1:40 AM EST
ATTLEBORO - It's down to the wire once again for the Christmas Is For Kids gift drive.
Today
is the last day the donor center will be open and there are still
nearly 180 out of 930 children left to be matched with donors - and most
of the pledged gifts for the children who have been matched have yet to
arrive.
The Greater Attleboro Council for Children, which
organizes the drive every year, had started the drive a week earlier
this year in hopes of avoiding all of these last-minute problems, but to
not much avail.
At the close of the donor center Friday night,
Council for Children President Kelly Fox, who heads up the drive, said
she and her elves were hoping that donors would at least get to the
donor center early on this last day of the drive, so that the children's
wish lists can all get filled.
"The most important concern for
me is getting the gifts that have been matched to children in the door
on Saturday," Fox said. "We still have hundreds of children who have
been matched, but the gifts aren't here yet. We can't do anything in
terms of buying anything else needed for those children until we know
what's coming in for them."
So, once again, the volunteer elves who do everything from answer the
donor lines to checking off the items on each child's list will be
working fast and frenzied to complete their tasks - and also have to be
prepared to do some last-minute shopping over the next few days.
The
elves will have to use the monetary donations that have come in from
various donations to date, and Fox says more cash donations are needed,
as the money will also be needed for additional children she has had to
put on a waiting list.
To help fill in the many items needed on
this last day of the drive, Fox notes that the following items would be
much appreciated today: gift cards for teenagers to places such as such
as Game Stop, American Eagle and CVS and Itunes; movie passes; clothing
for children, including outfits, in boys sizes 7-18, girls sizes 2-18
and junior sizes 7-15; and socks in all sizes; toys, including
transformers, Legos, dolls, basketballs and footballs.
The donor
center, located at 135 County St., in the original Attleboro High School
building, will be open until 8 p.m. today and the donor line phone
number is 508-226-0911.
Janette Boulay can be reached at 508-406-1217 or by e-mail at janette.boulay@gmail.com.
Sensata workers gather toys for city drive
BY RICK FOSTER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Friday, December 9, 2011 5:24 PM EST
ATTLEBORO - Sensata Technologies loaded a caravan of cars,
pickups and SUVs with toys and gifts and convoyed to a local charity
organization Thursday to make Christmas brighter for about 60 needy
children.
The toys were destined for Christmas Is For Kids, an
organization that matches donors with children and their families. The
gifts will be distributed in time for the holiday.
Company
spokeswoman Linda Megathlin said Sensata employees have been involved
with the charity for a number of years but that workers decided to step
up their participation in a holiday season when many families are coping
with a difficult economy.
"We called a meeting and appointed captains in each area," said Jackie Christopher, organizer of this year's Sensata campaign.
"Employees donated and then went out and shopped for the gifts."
Christmas Is For Kids officials said donations from individuals and
groups will be used toward fulfulling the Christmas dreams of more than
800 children this year.
Deadline coming for Christmas toy drive
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Wednesday, December 8, 2010 2:13 AM EST
200 children still to be matched
ATTLEBORO - It's just been a week and a half since this year's
Christmas Is for Kids gift drive began, but with a shorter runtime this
year, the end of the drive is already just days away.
The drive
ends at 5 p.m. Saturday, in fact, and organizer Kelly Fox urges area
residents to help the drive's elves to pull it together once again.
"We've
got about 200 children still to be matched," Fox said. "We definitely
still need the phones to ring so that we can get those kids matched up.
And, just as important, we need the people who have called in to get
matched to children to come in by Saturday at 5 p.m. at the latest so
that we can do what we need to do here."
There are now about 900
children on the list overall, and Fox says that some of those children
have been added to the drive's annual waiting list, which she had to
start this past Saturday.
For anyone who has not yet called in to
be matched with a child to purchase gifts for, Fox says items needed in
general to try to fill children's wish lists are clothing in a range of
sizes, gift cards, movie passes, toys, games - virtually anything at
this point, she says.
For people who have already selected children to purchase gifts for, as
well as anyone planning to purchase general gifts for children, Fox says
it is very important to remember Saturday's deadline.
As for the
waiting list, Fox says Christmas Is For Kids is going to make every
effort to see that those children get gifts while also doing everything
it can to be good stewards of donors' money.
"We are
double-checking with The Salvation Army and with other organizations in
the area to make sure that we can cross-reference to make sure that
people are only going to be helped by one organization," Fox said.
"There
are just not enough resources at this point for people to be helped by
two or three organizations, so we are doing the best to be good stewards
of the donations that are coming into us by doing the cross-referencing
every way we can."
The donor center is located for the second
year at 135 County St., in the original Attleboro High School building,
and open from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, through Dec. 10, and
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The donor line phone number is 508-226-0911.
Gift drive heads to wire
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 2:29 PM EST
Matches needed for more than 200 children
ATTLEBORO - There are only four days left to help Christmas Is
For Kids fulfill the wish lists of every child on its list, and there
are at least 215 children's lists yet to be completed.
The list
now includes 912 children, with the addition of applications that have
come in through parents and social service agencies over the past week.
Organizer
Kelly Fox, who heads up the drive for the Greater Attleboro Council for
Children, says the number of additional requests has slowed day-to-day,
but notes she will continue to review applications as they come in.
Thanks
to the efforts of many local groups, the volunteers have been able to
check off many of the items on children's wish lists. But Fox says it's
still vital for donors to be matched with children, and the phones
haven't been ringing nearly as much as they should.
"We've been
able to match up quite a lot internally due to the donations that folks
dropped off that were not earmarked for a specific child," Fox said.
"The toys that came in over the weekend from the Achin's toy drive, the
Attleboro Police Department's Stuff-a-cruiser event and the North
Attleboro Fire Department's Kids Day dropoff were a tremendous help."
Although she would prefer to have donors calling in to be matched with
children, Fox says it would be much appreciated if anyone would like to
just pick up gift cards to stores such as American Eagle, Game Stop or
Hollister. Also needed are iTunes gift cards, movie passes, infant toys,
girls' toys and educational toys.
With so few days left in the
drive, another big concern, as it is every year is that even for the
children who have been matched with donors - close to 90 percent of
those items pledged have not yet been dropped off at the donor center,
so Fox urges donors to drop their gifts off as soon as possible to help
avoid what is usually a mad rush on the drive's last day.
The
donor center, located at 135 County St., in the original Attleboro High
School building, will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. through Friday and from 9
a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The donor line phone number is 508-226-0911.
Christmas
is for Kids Gift Drive
Backyard News 12/3/11
For the past twenty-eight years the Attleboro
Area Council for Children’s Christmas is for Kids initiative
has made sure that no needy child in our local area
wakes up on Christmas morning without presents under
the tree. In 2010, 913 children received a bag
of gifts and with a week still to go this year, 900
children were already on the list, indicating that this
year’s numbers may outpace last year’s.
Christmas is for Kids services children in North
Attleboro, Attleboro, Seekonk, Norton and Rehoboth.
Families are selected through a thorough application
process, which analyzes income and expenses to be sure
that a need truly exists. Organizers also work
closely with local social service agencies such as the
Department of Children and Families, Community Cares
Services and New Hope. The children who are helped
face challenges that are beyond their age: poverty,
cold, hunger, illness – sometimes their own and sometimes
their parents’, parents struggling with mental illness
or substance abuse, or parents who are no longer in
the household due to abandonment or incarceration.
The donors who support the gift drive give hope to
these children by letting them know that they haven’t
been forgotten. Toy drives organized by Achin’s
Garage in North Attleboro, the Attleboro Police Departments’
Stuff-a-Cruiser event and other collection sites around
the area such as Walgreen’s, Needletech and the Attleboro
District Court make a huge difference in filling
the children’s wishes. Several local churches
and companies start before Thanksgiving by contacting
organizers early to get matched to children.
Of course, none of the magic could happen without
the volunteers who work behind the scenes all year to
prepare the space, hold classes for the parents, and
reach out to donors and other groups and organizations
to be sure that all of the processes are ready and will
run smoothly.
With more than 200 children yet to be matched, and
the clock ticking away quickly, organizers are asking
anyone who still wants to help to reach out to them
before December 10th. People wishing to donate
can get matched to a child by calling 508-226-2336 or
drop off any new toys or clothes that will be matched
to a child’s wish list at the drop-off center at 135
County Street (Route 123) in Attleboro. Monetary
donations will also be accepted at Rockland Trust in
Attleboro and North Attleboro or at the drop-off center.
Donations, need on rise
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Saturday, December 3, 2011 1:53 AM EST
Wish lists pile up for Christmas Is For Kids
ATTLEBORO - It was good news, and not so good news, at the close
of the Christmas Is for Kids donor center Friday night after this first
full week of the drive.
The good news, according to organizer
Kelly Fox who heads up the drive for the Greater Attleboro Council for
Children, is that the wish lists of more than 600 children have been
fulfilled.
The not-so-good news is that the number of children on
the list has grown to 884 and is expected to reach close to 1,000 over
the next few days.
The additional children are from new
applications submitted by area children's agencies, such as the
Department of Children and Families, as well as from more parents, all
of which Fox still has to review for approval.
Also, according to
Fox, that the phones have not been ringing as much as needed to match
donors with the remaining children on the list.
Many general items have been dropped off at the donor center from local drives and from people who have dropped off donations.
Using these "shelf" items, the drive's volunteer elves have been able to check off items on each child's wish list.
For
others who would like to just purchase gifts for the drive and not be
matched to a specific child, Fox notes that items such as infant toys,
soft (cloth) baby dolls, Legos, Transformers, doll houses, soccer balls,
footballs, puzzles, arts and crafts, and blankets, are still good items
to help round out the wish lists of children. Clothing is also another
good thing to drop off, particularly tops, pants and slippers, and in
just about any size right now from newborn to size 20, girls and boys.
But she also notes that, thanks to donations so far, pajamas and coats are not needed.
All
in all, however, Fox says it is still important for donors to call and
be matched with specific children in order to complete each child's wish
list.
Otherwise, the volunteers have to scramble at the last minute to shop for specific items.
Christmas is for Kids: List of Kids Continues to Grow
Kelly Fox, President, Attleboro Council fro Children Posted on
November 30, 2011 at 4:29pm
It's interesting to see the reaction from people when I tell them
where we are in terms of numbers on the Christmas is for Kids list. Some
folks are astounded at the numbers from our five-town community while
others are not surprised at all.
The focus on the numbers seems to be one way to collectively cope
with the concept of the rising need. But what I see as I read through
the story sheets are children who have hope and parents who want nothing
but for their children to have gifts to open on Christmas morning. This
is an opportunity for children to dream of things that they know their
parents could never afford, dreams of Santa's magic answering silent
prayers. So we thank our donors who shop so carefully, who add warm
clothes and new socks, cars and trucks and telescopes, science kits and
arts and crafts, sporting equipment and gift cards from a favorite store
a teen has only window-shopped.
Whether the numbers are 600, 800 or 1,000 children, these are
children in our neighborhoods who need all of our help. Please stop by
with items such as children's clothing of any size or infant toys for us
to match to children or call our donor line at 508-226-0911 to shop for
a specific child. Lines are open Monday through Friday from 5-8 p.m.
and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through December 10.
Oh, and the numbers through tonight? A total of 805 on the list with
about half matched...and more on my desk waiting to be added to the
list.
Please call the Donor Line at 508-226-0911
for a complete list of the children still
available on the Wish List!

Gift
drive makes progress
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 1:52 AM EST
More than 400 matched; number may exceed 1,000
ATTLEBORO - The 28th annual Christmas Is For Kids
gift drive is in full swing, with volunteers and donors
doing
their part to help make sure that no local child
goes without presents.
The elves have been busy answering phones at the
donor center to match children with donors, and volunteers
of all
ages have been helping to sort out gifts. But there's
still a lot to be done, according to organizer Kelly
Fox, who heads up the drive for the Greater
Attleboro Council for Children.
At the close of the donor center Tuesday night, Fox
said there were about 805 children
on the list, and about half of those - 428 - were
matched with donors.
But Fox also said she has new applications to review
from area children's agencies from
which she expects will result in another 200 or so
children being added to the list.
The donor center, at 135 County St. in the original
Attleboro High School building, is
open from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, through
Dec. 9, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 3, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 10. The donor line number is
508-226-0911. For donors who might like to shop,
but not be matched to a child, Fox said
items such as infant toys, soft (cloth) baby dolls,
Legos, Transformers, doll houses,
soccer balls, footballs, puzzles, arts and crafts
and blankets are needed.
Clothing is also needed, particularly tops, pants
and slippers, and in just about any size
right now from newborn to size 20, girls and boys.
But she also notes that thanks to
donations so far, pajamas and coats are not needed.
Fox was especially grateful for the younger volunteers.
"I know I say it often, but I love seeing the
teens come in and help," Fox said. "They are
always wonderful and willing to do whatever we need
to have done. They take this very
seriously, they "get it" that we're helping
children in their towns and you can see that
they want to do everything they can to make a difference
... and they are great when it
comes time to shop, I always ask for their opinion
when we're finishing up the bags."
Please call the Donor Line at 508-226-0911
for a complete list of the children still
available on the Wish List!
Annual gift drive gathers steam
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Sunday, November 27, 2011 1:46 AM EST
Request list published today, donor center gearing up
ATTLEBORO - The Attleboro Area Council for Children's 28th annual
Christmas Is For Kids' gift drive will get started in earnest today,
when the donor lines open for two hours in conjunction with the
publication of its wish list for hundreds of children in today's edition
of The Sun Chronicle.
The donor lines actually opened early last
week for three days for the first time in the gift drive's history, and
Council for Children President Kelly Fox hopes to continue that in
future years because some progress was made on this year's drive.
Fox
said 100 of the 750 children on the list were matched, and thanks to
the companies, organizations and churches that traditionally call to
adopt groups of children before the drive officially opens, an
additional 130 or so children also have already been matched, she said.
"I'm
glad that we started early, and of course wish that we had matched more
children, but I think that we'll do it again," Fox said.
"More
and more people will be aware of the earlier start year after year and
the numbers will grow. We matched 100 children earlier than last year,
so overall, I can't be disappointed. It's a great start, especially
given the dramatic increase we've seen in applicants year after year."
The early opening included a two-hour kickoff last Sunday followed by
three-hour segments on Monday and Tuesday, all of which were intended to
take advantage of Black Friday shopping to purchase the children's
gifts.
The list being published today contains the wishes of
children whose parents had applied and been accepted into the gift drive
in time to meet the publication deadline, as well as children in foster
care and in local shelters.
To choose someone on that list, call
508-226-0911 from noon to 2 p.m. today, as well as from 5 to 8 p.m.
Mondays through Fridays, Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 3, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, when the
drive will come to an end.
For anyone who would prefer to get
matched to a child in person, or to drop off gifts, the donor center
again will be at 135 County St. in Attleboro, in the original Attleboro
High School and former Brennan Middle School building. Fox also said she
would be glad to match groups of children to companies or organizations
who can reach her at kelly@councilforchidlren.org or through the donor line.
Fox
said it's vital for people to give early in the drive and not wait
until the end, because on the final day to drop off gifts last year,
there were almost 200 children without gifts, for whom the drive's
volunteers had to go out and shop.
Fox said there are many factors that prompt a parent to seek help at Christmas.
"Although the economic climate isn't helping in general, the vast
majority of the children we're helping are facing issues much larger
than having a parent without a job," she said.
Fox said the
children on the list face multiple issues - from parents with mental
illnesses or addictions to parents who are absent or who have died,
leaving a spouse to cope with children and less income. In addition,
many children are facing their own health and addiction problems.
"Any
one of these issues would bring many adults to their knees, but the
children don't know to give up, and we're certainly not giving up on
them," Fox said.
Please call the Donor Line at 508-226-0911
for a complete list of the children still
available on the Wish List!
Council for Children helps Norton families through the holidays
By Heather Harris
Posted Nov 23, 2011 @ 01:36 PM
Norton — More than 100 volunteer “elves” turned out for the Christmas is for Kids training in Attleboro Saturday.
For the third year in a row, Norton families will be part of the
Greater Attleboro Area Council for Children’s Christmas is for Kids gift
drive. The organization takes on the role of Santa, delivering gifts to
the needy through donations from community members.
Led by council president Kelly Fox, volunteers participated in a
special “elf” training Saturday morning, Nov. 19 at the old Brennan
Middle School in Attleboro.
Approximately 300 volunteers are anticipated to help take phone calls,
greet donors and organize the donations as they come in, Fox said.
“Our volunteers work tirelessly behind the scenes to organize and
distribute the wonderful holiday packages to local families,” Fox said.
Possibly due to a weak economy, as with last year, there is an increase
for those in need. More than 600 requests have already been put in,
said Sue Gilmore, a volunteer and council board member.
In an effort to reach everyone, Gilmore said,
“We’ll take kids right up until the end.”
Last year about 900 children were able to celebrate Christmas thanks to the organization’s efforts.
To help Christmas is for Kids fill its many gift requests, people can
sponsor a child by calling the council’s donor line at 508-226-0911.
Lines will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Nov. 28-Dec. 2
and again from Dec. 5-9. The lines will also be open on Saturday, Dec. 3
and 10.
Donors may place their unwrapped gifts in large trash bags labeled with
the child’s ID number and bring their donations to the council’s drop
off center at the old Brennan Middle School, 135 County St., Attleboro.
Sponsors may include wrapping paper with the donation, but are reminded
not to wrap the gifts. The last day to drop off is Saturday, Dec. 10.
“This cause is important because without it 1,000 children would be without Christmas gifts,” Fox said.
The nonprofit organization serves the communities of Norton, Attleboro,
North Attleboro, Rehoboth and Seekonk. Last year the council provided
clothing and toys for more than 100 Norton children and receives many
donations from the Norton community.
In Norton, “The Wrap” cable access television show is sponsoring a
Christmas is for Kids collection Drive through Dec. 9. A collection box
will be set up at Norton Cable Studio at the rear of Norton High School,
66 West Main St., Norton. For more information call 508-285-2318.
The Norton Mirror supports the council’s Christmas is for Kids
drive through its annual Gifts of Hope campaign. Each week, the Mirror
will accept donations, publish the names of donors and help publicize
Christmas is for Kids.
Check donations payable to the Council for Children may be sent to
the Norton Mirror, 370 Paramount Dr., Unit 3, Raynham, 02767. For
information, contact Norton Mirror editor Donna Whitehead at
508-967-3510 or at norton@wickedlocal.com.
Slow start for Christmas is for Kids BY MATT KAKLEY SUN CHRONICLE STAFF Monday, November 21, 2011 2:11 AM EST
Effort to jump-start gift drive falls short on first day
Christmas Is for Kids got off to a sluggish start Sunday, but organizers are hoping things will pick up soon.
The
program, which provides holiday presents for underprivileged children
in the area, opened its phone lines Sunday to less than stellar results,
according to Kelly Fox, president of the Attleboro Area Council for
Children, which runs the gift drive.
"It was much quieter than we would have hoped," Fox said.
Fox
attributed the slow start to a decision to begin the drive a week
earlier than usual, a move designed to allow donors to include the needy
children's wish lists when they do their Black Friday shopping.
In the past, the drive kicked off on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when The Sun Chronicle publishes the children's wish lists.
"People are used to looking for the list, but now we're doing it a week ahead," Fox said.
Although
the list hasn't been published, Fox said organizers have the children's
information and can match up donors and kids in need.
Phone lines will be open again today and Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. Call 508-226-0911.
The
call center will also be open Mondays through Fridays, Nov. 28-Dec. 2
and Dec. 5-9, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on two Saturdays, Dec. 3 and 10.
The donor center again will be located in the old Attleboro High School
and former Brennan Middle School, 135 County St.
Fox said any businesses or organizations that would like to be matched to a large group of children can contact her at kelly@councilforchildren.org.
She
said organizers currently have about 700 children on the lists looking
for presents, up from about 450 at this point last year, an increase she
sees as coming from the still-sluggish economy.
Despite Sunday's slow start, Fox said she and other organizers think
they'll see the drive pick up steam in the coming days and weeks.
"I would hope that we would," she said.
Please call the Donor Line at 508-226-0911
for a complete list of the children still
available on the Wish List!
Giving an early start
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Saturday, November 19, 2011 1:51 AM EST
ATTLEBORO - If you plan to take advantage of Black Friday
shopping this year, the Greater Attleboro Council for Children is hoping
you'll include a local child or two on your shopping list.
The
council, which oversees the Christmas Is for Kids program, plans to
start its 28th annual gift drive a week earlier this year to provide
early shopping opportunities for donors.
The drive typically kicks off on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
But
this year the phone lines will be open this Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.,
and again Monday and Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. Call 508-226-0911.
After
the early kickoff, the phone lines will follow the usual schedule,
beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the same day that The Sun
Chronicle will publish the drive's wish list, which will include the
ages of the boys and girls on the list and the gifts they are hoping to
receive.
"Even though the official list won't be in the paper for another week,
we have children's information that can easily be matched up by the
phone elves to donors," Fox said. "So we're asking folks to call us on
Sunday afternoon, or Monday or Tuesday evening, and we'd be happy to
match up donors.
Once the drive opens for the season on Nov. 27 - the lines will be open n
oon to 2 p.m. that day - volunteers will take calls
from
5 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, Nov. 28-Dec. 2 and Dec. 5-9, and
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on two Saturdays, Dec. 3 and 10. The donor center
again will be located in the old Attleboro High School and former
Brennan Middle School, 135 County St.
With a few weeks still to
go in the drive, Fox said there are already more than 500 children on
the list, and based on past history, that's reason enough for an early
start to the drive, she said.
"The last two years in particular,
we've had so much come in the last two days of the drive - usually
accounting for about half of everything we collected - that it seemed
prudent to try to start earlier so that donors might also start and
finish their shopping before the last weekend," she said.
Fox said any businesses or organizations that would like to be matched
to a large group of children can contact her at kelly@councilforchildren.org, and she will meet with them to match them to children.
"This
has worked very well in years past with Sensata, the South Attleboro
Lions Club and many local churches, all of whom take several children
and shop for them," she said.
Please call the Donor Line at 508-226-0911
for a complete list of the children still
available on the Wish List!
Janette Boulay can be reached at 508-406-1217 or by e-mail at janette.boulay@gmail.com.
Christmas drive begins with a roar
BY JUDEE COSENTINO FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
NORTH ATTLEBORO - The revving engines of more than 160
Harley Davidson motorcycles could be heard from Pawtucket to the Elks
Lodge in North Attleboro on Sunday afternoon where the Blackstone Valley
Harley Owners Group hosted its 18th annual Christmas Is For Kids ride,
kicking off the local gift drive.
Many of the riders, who started
at Precision Harley Davidson on Armistice Boulevard in Pawtucket,
brought a new, unwrapped toy or donated $10 at the door of the Elks
Lodge.
Firman E. Locke, a Foxboro resident, has been director of
the ride for the past four years. He said it makes him feel good to know
that he and his friends can help needy children who can't always help
themselves.
"There's a lot of children in Attleboro that need help," he said. "We try to do as much as we can for the community."
The
ride has become a family tradition for HOG assistant director Dave
Barton. His two sons were also riders, and Barton's older brother Mark,
an Attleboro police officer, led the ride.
Prince, owned by Charles Beale of North
Attleboro, is ready for the ride during Sunday's Blackstone Valley
Harley Owners Group's kickoff of the Christmas Is For Kids campaign.
(Staff photo by Mike George)
"We wouldn't miss this for anything," Barton said.
Rehoboth resident Russell Richmond came with his son and daughter-in-law and brought two toys, one for a boy and a girl.
"I enjoy it; it's a good thing," he said. "It's just nice to be able to give."
The
23-mile ride, which began at about 11:45 a.m., proceeded down Armistice
Boulevard to Route 152 through the back roads of North Seekonk, Norton
and into North Attleboro. The riders reached the Elks Lodge at almost 1
p.m, where a hearty Italian dinner was served.
Attleboro Area
Council for Children director Kelly Fox was there to greet the riders
and collect the toys, which came to about 14 bags full.
"This is a great start for us," she told the riders. "Your kickoff to our drive is something we look forward to."
For the bikers, and HOG treasurer Ed Blair, the sentiment was mutual.
"This is something we will do until none of us can ride anymore," he said.

Making a list for Christmas Is For Kids
BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Monday, November 2, 2009 2:18 AM EST
It's time to apply for 26th annual gift drive
ATTLEBORO - For local parents who need help providing gifts for
their children this Christmas, the Attleboro Area Council for Children
might be able to help.
The council is taking applications for its
26th annual Christmas Is For Kids gift drive through which it provides
toys and clothing for children in need.
The Council for Children
is a volunteer organization dedicated to providing year-round programs
and educational support to enrich the lives of children in need and the
gift drive is just one of the services it provides.
For those
parents or area social service organizations who wish to have their
children be recipients of the gift drive, applications are requested to
be completed and returned to the Council for Children by Nov. 13.
For
each application accepted, the council receives a "wish list" for each
child approved to be included in the drive as to what the child would
like for Christmas.
The wish lists for approved applications received by the deadline will
be published in The Sun Chronicle on Sunday, Nov. 29, the same day the
council kicks off the drive.
The wish lists are noted by boy or
girl and their ages only, without disclosing the names of the children,
and donors are matched with the type of child or children for which they
wish to purchase gifts.
Since the Council for Children does not
have a permanent space of it own, it depends on the generosity of
community supporters each year to provide a space for the drive.
This
year, as announced previously by Council President Kelly Fox, the
drop-off center for the drive will be at 135 County St., which many
Attleboro area residents will recognize as the original Attleboro High
School or the former Brennan Middle School.
To help support this
year's drive, Fox notes two fundraisers that community supporters can
contribute to. One is a toy drive that is being coordinated by Achin's
Garage that will be at the Community School in North Attleboro on Dec.
5. The other is the annual hat and mitten drive at the Rockland Trust
North Attleboro branch.
Janette Boulay can be reached at 508-222-0993 or by e-mail at janette.boulay@gmail.com.
Making a difference
BY JUDEE COSENTINO FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Sunday, October 23, 2011 3:13 AM EDT
North student collects pajamas for gift drive
NORTH ATTLEBORO - It's not always toys that kids want for Christmas.
While
those are certainly nice to get, some area children have other needs
that many of us wouldn't think about, such as a warm pair of pajamas.
But
those needs will be met, thanks to North Attleboro Middle School
student Julia Mark coordinating the Warm Pajama Drive, which collects
new pajama sets and donates them to the Christmas Is For Kids program.
The
local drive was held in conjunction with Saturday's observance of the
nationwide Make A Difference Day, which is sponsored by the USA Weekend
magazine, which is included weekly in the Saturday edition of The Sun
Chronicle.
Julia Mark, 14, right, Liz Cooper, 14, and Allie
Grinavic, 13, of North Attleboro, receive a donation of warm pajamas
from Julie Savioli of North Attleboro Saturday during the Make A
Difference Day drive held at the entrance to North Attleboro high and
middle schools.
This is the sixth year for the drive, which was inspired by Julia's
older sister Erika overhearing a child asking Santa Claus for warm
pajamas during while she was volunteering at the Santa Shop. During the
drive's first year, 600 pairs of pajamas were collected, and in the
succeeding years, 3,300 pairs have been donated to needy area children.
The goal for this year is 600 pairs.
"It's really important for
the community to realize that the kids can do something," said Debbie
Mark, mother of Erika and Julia. "If you stop and think about it, kids
need new pajamas every year."
Saturday marked the first day of
this year's drive. Julia and her friends, 13-year-old Allie Grinavik and
14-year-old Liz Cooper, as well as Mark's cousin Degan Lee, were out
early that morning at the North Attleboro High School-Middle School
entrance, waving handmade signs announcing the drive.
The
teenagers spent two weeks preparing for the event, making the signs and
decorating the large cardboard box for the pajamas, as well as making
announcements at their school.
Although many cars slowed to read the signs, only a few people stopped to donate, which disappointed Mark.
"It hasn't been as busy as I hoped it would be," she said with a sigh.
But around noontime, after 2 1/2 hours of brisk temperatures and
flagging spirits, two people pulled over and donated three more pairs of
pajamas.
"Even if people don't realize how much giving pajamas helps out, it's the little things that count," Grinavik said.
The
day's total number of pajamas collected at other locations throughout
the day came to 64 pairs, with $23 in monetary donations, Julia Mark
said.
New, unused pajamas, as well as thermal tops and flannel pants, will be taken from now until Dec. 1.
Monetary
donations can be dropped off or mailed to the Warm Pajama Fund, c/o
Rockland Trust, 16 E. Washington Street, North Attleboro, MA, 02760.
Pajamas
may also be dropped off during the week at St. Theresa's Church on
Baltic Street in Attleboro; North Attleboro Middle School; St. Mark's
Church in North Attleboro, or at the Rockland Trust Co.
Gift
Drive to Start Earlier Donor
Lines will open three extra days next month
Attleboro
- For the 28th year, the Greater Attleboro Council for
children will do its part to see that every child in
the area receives gifts on Christmas Day.
To
help make that effort as successful as possible the
year, the council plans to open its donor phone lines
a week earlier.
"Every
year we seem to get down to the wire with donors, and
so we are hoping that by starting earlier, donors will
be able to get their Christmas is For Kids shopping
done earlier and that will take some of the pressure
off of the elves as we get down to the wire," the
council's Kelly Fox said.
Fox
said the plan now is to kick off the phone lines on
Sunday, November 20, from noon to 2 p.m. with the phone
lines also open Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 21 and 22,
from 5 to 8 p.m.
With
the earlier kickoff, Fox says donors who would like
to get matched earlier will have that opportunity as
well as the opportunity to do Black Friday shopping.
After
the early kickoff, the phone lines will then follow
the usual schedule, beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving
when the Children's Wish list is published in the Sun
Chronicle.
In
addition, Fox says that the council is asking any companies
and groups who are planning to do their own drives to
support the Christmas is For Kids drive, by collecting
blankets, mittens, gift wrap, toys or other items, to
do so early as well - by Dec. 8 - to allow organizers
time to do the proper matching of items to children's
requests. The last day for all drop-offs is scheduled
for Saturday, Dec. 10.
"Historically,
half of all donations show up the final weekend, and
it has become very difficult to sort and pack all of
the donations in such a short time and to do it as well
as we want to do it, so we're trying to give ourselves
some time," she said.
"I'm
anticipating that we'll have some daytime shifts for
the elves to do work and although the drop-off center
won't be open to donors, it will give us time to get
our arms around the inventory as it piles in and to
manage it better.
The
Council for Children is a volunteer run organization
dedicated to providing year round programs and educational
support to enrich the lives of children in need and
the gift drive is just one of the services it provides.
Applications are available at several sites within the
area.
For
those parents or social service organizations, who wish
to have their children be recipients of the gift drive,
applications are requested to be completed and returned
to the Council for Children by November 13.
Applications
will be available at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 during the parent
class at Bristol Community College auditorium and will
be dropped off at or emailed on Oct. 19 to local social
service agencies as well as the YMCAs and libraries
and also launched on the council's website www.councilforchildren.org.
by
Janette Boulay FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
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