Empty Stocking Fund far from goal
Volunteers hope the Empty Stocking Fund After Hours, set for Dec. 1 at United Bank from 5-7 p.m., will set another annual record and enable more children to receive Christmas gifts from the fund.
Instead of seeing the negative side of this, please believe that there are children who through no fault of their own, are born into a family or to a mother whose priorities are not our own.
I am blessed in my adult life. I wasn't as a child. Now I am in a position to help a child. And I won't pass judgement on that child's family since it's not my place to do so.
All I want to believe is that I've made a child smile, a child who may not have many opportunities in her young life to smile otherwise.
And may God continue to shower His grace upon us all.
My father, who worked hard at a blue collar job his whole life to provide for his family, was laid off and out of work for years when the bubble burst. He applied and interviewed for what seemed like hundreds of jobs... all fruitless. During that time I supported him, while desperately trying to keep my family's head above water.
I remember as a child we never had very much, but every Christmas we pulled an Angel off the tree in the mall and bought a toy for a stranger. No matter how tough times were for my Dad, he dropped a dollar in the bucket and went without a cup of coffee or a donut the next morning.
Of course you should not impair yourself or your family this holiday season. But if you find yourself with a dollar to spare, so many people would be grateful for your donation of any size this Christmas.