By PAUL DELANEY
Staff Reporter
When Cheney Outreach decided it could no longer help collect Christmas gifts for the needy of the community, Sally Shamp heard the calling to step in.
Along with the Cheney United Church of Christ, and other area houses of worship, Shamp will help coordinate their efforts this year to collect gifts for some 200 children in the community who would likely not otherwise have gifts.
Actually, Shamp’s calling came much earlier when she retired and her pastor suggested she volunteer for Cheney Outreach. Along with the yearly gift collection, Cheney Outreach’s major focus is assisting low-income families with food, housing and heat. When the latter became the priority, the gift drive was sidelined.
Until Shamp stepped in that is. “Over the years our church has been a major supporter,†Stamp said. “We can’t let this go. When I heard that Outreach wouldn’t be able to help coordinate the gift collection, I decided to step in,†Shamp said. “I knew that the need would be significant.â€
She’s worked to turn giant cardboard boxes into festive collection bins that will be placed in area churches and businesses by Thanksgiving. “So when everyone does their day-after-Thanksgiving shopping, if they pick up something and drop it in the box that would be wonderful,†Shamp said of the drive that ends Dec. 12 with distribution set for Dec. 16.
Shamp has either already spoken with, or will address meetings of area service clubs like Rotary and Kiwanis to have their member businesses host the bins. In addition to business support, “All the [Cheney] churches give money or volunteers or support in some way,†Shamp said.
The local effort is designed to help families who will be earning half of the official poverty level of just over $21,000 that the government sets.
“I can’t imagine for instance having a family of two kids and two adults and trying to live on $500 a month, or $1,000 a month, even,†Shamp said. “Some of those receiving gifts will have $1,500 or $2,000 but you have to be carefully how you spend.â€
While Shamp was not sure exactly how many families would be helped by the efforts of volunteers, she did say the number ranges between 150 and 200 in recent years.
“We are trying to plan for 200. We’ve got to have an increase of kids the way things are,†she said.
Shamp wished to point out donations made locally will stay local with the boxes being clearly labeled with signs that say, “Christmas Gifts for Cheney kids.†Suggested gifts include those that children from birth to age 18 would enjoy, such as games, books and makeup. It is asked that those donating do not wrap their gifts.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected]
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