Shelby Helpline Ministries recently had a Community Christmas Program and 306 households in Shelby benefited from the distribution of toys, food, and household goods.
Director of the Shelby Helpline Ministries Sheryl Cramer was pleased with how the distribution went.
“There were 306 households that were helped. Within those 306 households there were 995 individuals and of those 995 individuals, 475 of them were children. This has been one of the most successful years for the Christmas Distribution. I am very happy with how it developed,” said Cramer.
Cramer shared that while the only time food is given to families in need by her ministry is during Christmas, other options for citizens interested in donating food are available year round. “We have a Fish Food Pantry and they have food available year round for those in need,” said Cramer.
The bigest distribution to families typically happens around Christmas, but collection is a year round effort. Donations can be made every Tuesday and Thursday between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. “We are always in need of coats and boots especially during this time of year,” said Cramer.
“We also have angel tree gifts which include what the child is in need of. That can include how old the child is and if the child is a boy or girl. This helps the person know exactly what the child need. We want to help in any way we can and show that we do care,” said Cramer.
The charity is assisted in their mission by over 250 volunteers from throughout the community. “Most of the volunteers are through churches, but some are through the community, too. We have wonderful volunteers with us,” said Cramer.