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.
Rochelle Brummond says Meeker Area Ministries helps homeless people transition into permanent housing and one of their clients will be giving a testimony during the event on Sunday to tell how the program helped their family. She says they mentor their clients and give them the support they need to move on to stability in their lives.
Brummond says when children are involved in a homeless situation, they especially need stability. She says they work with their clients to teach budgeting and other life skills.
Paul White says it’s especially difficult for someone who’s been homeless to get references to try to rent an apartment. He says MAM teaches people the skills needed to be a good renter.
White says they like their clients to get involved in a church for further support and to feel a sense of belonging to a community and to build trust. He says UCAP will be moving its office to 409 North Sibley Avenue at the beginning of the year, and that building will also have two transitional units for people who are making the step from homelessness to permanent housing.
Donations to MAM are welcome at P.O. Box 192 in Litchfield. Freewill donations will also be accepted at Sunday’s Carols & Cheer event at the Litchfield Opera House.
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.
