For 28 years now the Wellsville Lions Club have taken great strides seeking donations and raising funds so they can serve the community with their annual Christmas Care & Share. They work all year long to make sure everyone has food for the table and each child has at least one gift from Santa to open on Christmas morning. It's neighbor helping neighbor with area merchants, churches, organizations and individuals all lending a hand with donations. It's a community service coordinated by the Lions members to help make the Christmas holiday a little more cheerful.
The Lions Club is a dedicated community service organization whose members gladly give of their time to serve. Care & Share is probably their best known activity but it is only part of what they do. For more on the Lions Club see our post dated 12-13-10.
The annual Christmas Care & Share program over the years have helped many and this year was no exception. Care & Share is two pronged. There are the food baskets assembled to put food on the table and the toy drive to put presents under the tree. In nearly three decades they have passed out thousands and thousands of food baskets and toys.
This year was no exception. There were 180 food baskets put together that was distributed two days before Christmas. The baskets contained potatoes, a bag of sugar, canned vegetables, bread, stuffing, noodles, eggs, margarine, apples, cake mixes, icing and a Christmas ham. It appears a little chaotic when you first walk in while they are putting the baskets together but that is deceiving. With all their years experience it's really a well organized effort. With the Lions Club members and all the volunteers that pitch in the assembly is done in no time. All of sudden you have different stacks of food items spread half way around the room all boxed up and ready to go. The hams don't get added until the next day when the baskets are distributed. Everything on the food side is done in the Wellsville High School Band Room.
Steve Bobalik and his crew for the toys told me they furnished gifts for 264 children listed on 104 applications. Their assembly and distribution process is just as efficient as the one for the food baskets. The toy drive was originally started by the Wellsville Kiwanis Club with Jack Gallagher and Andy Beech.
All in all it is a very commendable mission that the members of the Lions Club and all the volunteers take on gladly and fulfill each year. It helps make Christmas a little more memorable. Thinking of others is truly in the Christmas spirit.
Thanks to the Lions Club members, all the volunteers and all of those that dig in their pockets that conduct and support the annual Care & Share. Your unselfish efforts are truly appreciated. All of you are part of what makes Wellsville special. St. Nick is surely smiling down from the heavens.
ole nib
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