Our mailbox had an unusually high volume of mail Thursday, but it comes as no surprise. Wednesday’s volume was small so the letters must have been in the pipeline.
We seem to get back up with letters before we officially get under way. Then there is a small reprieve, and when the word gets out that we are open for business, the flood gates open. That’s exactly what happened.
To make matters even more interesting, two office secretaries were out for the day. Go figure!
After the packing was completed for today, two other volunteers stepped up to help our office manager process the mail. I thank them for staying late to help Lynie process the letters.
My faith in human nature got a boost Thursday as I visited the Target store in Topsham. We need packing boxes every day during our campaign. I made arrangements with the staff at the Target store three weeks ago to have them save boxes for us.
When I walked in to the store Thursday and asked for boxes, the young lady at the service desk got on the phone immediately. Within just a few minutes we loaded up a wagon, and were out the door in less than 10 minutes.
The warehouse manager told us he would have boxes for us each day at 8 a.m. It’s a perfect scenario for us because the store is close by. We start at 8 a.m. and the boxes will be available at 8 a.m.
We were all very impressed with the employees we met Thursday morning. They were extremely helpful and friendly. We want to thank the management and staff of the Target store in Topsham for giving us a helping hand this year.
Every day is different at the North Pole Annex. Wednesday was a major event because we had so many toys to pack. Thursday was a lot slower, but I expect that today will be another barn burner.
We did a little consolidating and reorganizing Thursday, and that should help with Friday’s heavy demand.
For a nonprofit organization with a limited annual existence, we use up a lot of man hours each week. Volunteers show up at eight in the morning, we leave four to five hours later, and if you multiply that times a dozen volunteers each day, that equals between 240 and 300 volunteer hours a week.
We do this for three weeks during the holiday season. That’s 700 to 900 hours of community service. All this is volunteer labor. It is interesting statistic, isn’t it?
Oh well I better get back to the real reason we are here: We have packed toys for 96 children so far. This includes 47 boys and 49 girls.
We have processed and approved 52 letters of request. We still receive letters with missing information and that slows up the process. Please try to get all the required information in your requests.
We need for you to be the parent or legal guardian who resides in our service area. Include your full name, address and telephone number. List the names of your children, their genders and their dates of birth. That’s all you need to put in your letter.
Then mail it to The Santa Claus Fund Inc., P.O. Box 278, Brunswick, ME 04011. Then wait two days and call 319- 9317. If your request has been processed and approved, you will be given a box number, a time and location where your box will be.
You will need to bring photo identification with your name and matching address when picking up the package. It has been brought to my attention that your address might be different on your identification card, but you can bring a copy of an electricity bill, phone bill or similar document to verify your legal residence. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.
Several donations arrived Thursday.
We received a $10 contribution from Jimmy and Annette Levesque, “in memory our son, Brad Levesque.”
Celeste Perkins donated $50. David and Evelyn Desmond donated $50. Lionel and Judith Bourque sent $25.
Mary Wilkins donated $5. Seth Washburn sent $50.
Robert Williams contributed $300. Thank you, Robert.
Florence Weeks contributed $50. Phyllis Walsh donated $20, as well as 34 pairs of mittens and several hats.
An anonymous donor sent a gift of $100. John and Susan Fitzgerald donated $25.
Marshal and Marcia Beaudoin donated $100, “in memory of Albert and Gertrude Beaudoin and Arthur and Charlotte Gonier.”
Thank you very much for your generosity.
Today’s donations add up to $785, bringing the 2011 campaign total to $3,150.
We are making significant progress each day. Our goal for the 2011 season is $30,000.
If you would like to send a donation this year, you can do so by mailing a tax deductible contribution to: The Santa Claus Fund Inc., P.O. Box 278, Brunswick, ME 04011.
We will publish notice of your gift the day after we receive it. If you have a loved one you wish to remember, just let us know. We will publish their names as well.
We received several toys and mittens Thursday. Bud and Jane White delivered an assortment of wooden toys, 15 pairs of mittens, three scarves, four pairs of socks, four tops, three train engines with cars, one combat vehicle, one truck and trailer, a wall plaque, a napkin holder, a paper planes book, a boat and two cars with batteries.
The Tuesday Knit at Night Group from the Frontier Café donated 47 knit hats and 17 pairs of mittens.
Several toy items and school supplies were donated in memory of Mildred Snow. The include two hero sets, four Santa and blanket sets, a 20-inch duffel bag, a large Look & Find Shark book, two Christmas carol books, two small plush deer, two Fatten Cat Christmas books, a card drop bear Snoopy book, two Crayola colored pencils, four plastic lunch boxes, a Bic Bright Beam, a package of pens, three small pencil sharpeners, a math kit, a threedimensional picture book and a small container of Play Doh.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for the time and effort that you put into these gifts. We will find good homes for all these items.
The time is late and I will close with a simple goodnight. I’ll be back with more news Monday.
A VOLUNTEER EFFORT by Bath and Brunswick Elks to ensure that local children in need receive Christmas gifts. Updates written by a Santa Claus Fund volunteer appear in each edition of The Times Record from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve.
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