The Meeker County Holiday Project is underway. This is the 48th year of the campaign which started out humbly in a church basement, and is now overseen by United Community Action Partnership – helping over 500 children each year receive toys for Christmas.
Rochelle Brummond says they collect cash which is used to purchase toys and gifts for children and they also use the money to provide a holiday meal to families in the program and to provide food baskets to 50 elderly residents in the area each year. She says they serve mostly working families who are struggling to get by and just don’t have enough to get toys for their children.
Brummond says the Litchfield Fire Dept. collects toys, and Center Bank and others also collect toys that are donated to the Holiday Project and checks for the Holiday Project may be sent to UCAP at 120 North Sibley Avenue in Litchfield, and then they set up a store for their clients a couple of days in December in the basement of First Lutheran Church. She says families and elderly residents who are struggling and want to be part of the Holiday Project may visit her office at the back of the Threads of Hope store in downtown Litchfield. For more information, call Rochelle at 693-7911.
The Litchfield School Board received a visit last night from students who have excelled in a variety of activities this past fall. Assistant High School Principal/Activities Director Justin Brown brought members of the girl’s tennis team, cross-country team and FFA Chapter to last night’s meeting.
The cross-country team qualified for state, the girl’s tennis team ended up in the state tournament only to lose the championship to Blake, and the FFA Chapter’s Parliamentary Procedures Team took first place in the state and then 5th place in the national competition last month in Indianapolis, Indiana. Brown says the kids at last night’s meeting represented just a fraction of the school’s phenomenal students.
The Litchfield School Board approved of the annual World’s Best Workplace report last night from Supt. Susan Burris; approved of having just one meeting in December (Dec. 9); and approved of a membership in the Litchfield Rotary club for $440.
The Litchfield School Board accepted several donations last night including $400 from the Women’s Study Club for Lake Ripley Elementary poster boards; $2,000 from the Litchfield Gymnastics Booster Club for the gymnastics pit; $500 from an anonymous donor in memory of Bea Devereaux for the LHS Choir; $600 from Braun Lindberg, $250 from Perennial Insurance, and $250 from Perennial Bank – all for the FFA National Convention; and $500 from the Chuck Fenton memorial for Litchfield Community Education’s Youth Rec/Sports.
Meeker Area Ministries has its annual Christmas Carols and Holiday Cheer event on Sunday, December 1st at 2 p.m. at the Litchfield Opera House. Sara Dollerschell will lead the singing of carols, and treats will be served. Freewill donations will be accepted.
Rochelle Brummond says they had someone speak during last year’s event about how they had been helped by MAM, so they will have another testimony at this year’s event. She says they had their first events on a weeknight in past years, but are going to try it on a Sunday afternoon this year.
Pastor Tom Evenson says this event helps to get the word out about MAM and its mission of helping the homeless in Meeker County find permanent housing, and freewill donations will be accepted to help support the program. Donations to MAM may be sent to Post Office Box 192 in Litchfield.