Christmas is in the air around the Sentinel office and among hundreds of local volunteers as Christmas Friends Inc. begins its 40th year of making the season brighter for needy children and elderly or disabled adults in Middlesex County.
Organized by the Southside Sentinel and the Middlesex County Department of Social Services, Christmas Friends expects to provide gifts for over 250 children and elderly adults this year and is repeating its 2024 fundraising goal of $32,000.
Christmas Friends is one of the most unique holiday season charities anywhere. All clients are referred by Social Services and they are invited to submit a personal “wish list” of desired gifts such as toys, games, clothes, etc. Volunteer shoppers get the lists and try their best to fulfill some of the wishes using funds donated by generous citizens and organizations. Volunteer wrappers do their job and then volunteer delivery crews take the gifts to individual homes throughout the county.
How you can help:
It takes a village to make Christmas Friends succeed, and you are invited to join in this rewarding work. Many previous shoppers have been contacted and are awaiting their wish lists, but more shoppers may be needed. Already, 227 clients have been referred by Social Services. Please call Sentinel office manager Geanie Longest at 804-758-2328, ext. 101, or email her at glongest@ssentinel.com to sign up.
Be a wrapper. Gift wrapping sessions are scheduled on most weekdays at the Sentinel office in Urbanna, beginning Nov. 25. Adequate space is available for a maximum of five wrappers. Look for the link on ChristmasFriends.org where you can pick days to wrap.
Join the reindeer (delivery!) crew. Normally there are 12 delivery routes in the county, which means 12 vehicles are needed, each with a driver and assistant. You can also contact Longest if you have a large van capable of holding approximately 25 “contractor” size bags of gifts and are willing to be its driver for one of the routes on Saturday, Dec. 20. Delivery takes two to three hours.
The ideal van is a Chrysler or Dodge with stowaway rear seats, or similar size vans with seats that can be completely removed. “Full size” SUVs (such as a Chevy Suburban) have also been used successfully. Most regular size SUVs do not have enough space for all the bags. Full size pick-up trucks with a covered cargo area are also suitable.
Each delivery crew will need GPS capability in the vehicle or on a smart phone or other device. Street addresses for each client will be available.
How to donate
Thank you for supporting Christmas Friends Inc. with tax-deductible donations. Contributors are recognized as Christmas Friends and their donations are listed weekly in the Southside Sentinel. Contributors who wish to remain anonymous should request that their donations be listed as such. Memorial contributions also will be acknowledged.
Checks should be made payable to Christmas Friends Inc. and mailed to P.O. Box 549, Urbanna, VA 23175 or brought to the Sentinel office at 276 Virginia St., Urbanna.
To donate online using PayPal or a credit card, go to ChristmasFriends.org.
Donations received through Nov. 18, which total $1,356, include the following:
- Chuck and Barie Carmichael, $100.
- Dale Waldrop $100.
- William G. Richardson, $100.
- In memory of Jason Haley by Rob and Shannon, $100.
- Helen and Leo Richardson Charitable Trust, $500.
- Middle Peninsula Security Center, $456
