Give a Helping Hand this Christmas season

To the Editor:

We just finished the Clyde E. Mason Jr. Family Memorial fundraiser for the Troy VFW Auxiliary on Saturday, Oct. 6, and now it is time for me to organize another worthwhile project to help the families needing a little assistance to make their children's Christmas a special one for them to remember.

I have organized the "Give a Helping Hand Christmas Program" for 28 years, and it has helped many families needing assistance outside of the system. There are many instances where we all sometimes need a little help, such as too many medical bills to handle, loss of jobs, sudden emergencies, and just plain bad economy.

This program was established to help those members of our communities (Libby and Troy) who really do not have any control of circumstances that enable them to meet some needs for their children. In this program we try to make things a little better for those having hard times. I know from experience that there are many out there who do try to provide all their family's needs but are too proud to ask for help.

We do keep the names of recipients of gifts confidential if you ask us to. We just require proof of eligibility. Please, give me a call if you need help this holiday season.

The deadline for signing up for help is at 5 p.m. on Nov. 15. There are no exceptions made. We need time to fulfill these requests.

I will be organizing the program from my home this year. Anyone wishing to help fulfill a wish or need will be able to do so by calling me, and I will read the wants and needs asked for over the phone. Or if you prefer, you may come to my home and pick out a tag.

Tags are available now, as we have 12 families signed up at this time. We will be handing out the gifts on Dec. 15, so we need the gifts brought back to us by Dec. 13.

I realize it seems early for us to give out the gifts on this date, but I need to allow some time for my own family before the holidays.

Also needed for our program is wrapping paper, lots of tape, tags to mark gifts, and fill-in gifts to balance out each family's donated gifts.

Should you wish to help, but don't have the time for shopping, we do have an account set up in the First National Bank under "Give a Helping Hand Christmas Program." I do have a tax ID number available should anyone need it, as this is a nonprofit program.

My phone number is 295-4542. Please call before 9 p.m.

Again thank you to all of the businesses, private citizens and organizations in Libby, Troy and Bonners Ferry for your continued support for the 28 years I have organized fundraisers for the Troy VFW, the Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW, Troy VFW Junior Girls and our community in need of assistance.

Without the help from all of you we could not have been so successful.

Fran Stanton

Troy