Community Services of Starke County is looking for help in making the Christmas season a little brighter for some local families.
The organization’s Christmas Basket program connects families who are in need with people who want to help them by donating food baskets, clothing, or other gifts. Coordinator Lori Dunning says at this point, there are still 22 families who haven’t yet been matched with donors.
The way the program works is that potential donors contact Community Services and let them know what they are able to give or if they would like to donate to a certain type of recipient, such as a family with a specific number of kids or children in a certain age group. Dunning then selects a family and provides the donor with the family members’ sex, age, clothing sizes, and any specific gift requests. She says no other information is given out, and the family remains anonymous.
Community Services has been getting help from other organizations in the community, including DeMotte State Bank in Knox, which has been spreading the word and finding donors.
Those interested in donating can call Community Services of Starke County at 574-772-7070. Dunning says they’ll find a match for everyone who wants to donate, but there’s a greater need for gifts to families with teenagers. She asks donors to bring their gifts to Community Services by Monday if possible, although they’ll be accepted until next Friday. They will then be distributed to the families.
