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EAST WILTON – Mt. Blue Middle School Student Council members volunteered their time today to help sort and wrap presents as Operation Santa Claus continues to make deliveries to Franklin County’s families in need.
Eighth-grade students Sarah McDonald, Daniel Reed, Sarita Crandall, Joshua Horne, Silas Rogers and Richie Storer worked toward filling the hundreds of wish lists submitted to Western Maine Community Action, which coordinates the 38-year-old program.
Mt. Blue teacher Maureen Oswald said over the years the students have held fund raisers for the Operation Santa Claus, but this year she also wanted them to see how the program actually works.
“I wanted them to see the whole picture,” Oswald said. “What it is all about.”
Students scurried back and forth, getting lists, finding the items to fulfill each wish, and then wrapping them in colorful holiday paper and making sure each comes with a name tag.
Student Sarah McDonald said she was surprised by what she saw.
“I am amazed by how much work it is and how much people are willing to donate to it,” she said looking over at the huge piles of wrapped gifts bagged up and ready for delivery.
This afternoon, Oswald and Jan Ames, will return with the seventh-grade Student Council members when they take their turn at playing Santa Claus.
As deliveries continue through to Dec. 22, the program’s coordinator Cindy Brophy said more giving trees have sprung up in town. While Franklin Memorial Hospital’s tree still has tags requesting certain items for children and seniors over 60 available in the lobby, Aubuchon Hardware store on Wilton Road in Farmington also has a giving tree and Wal-Mart decided late this week to go ahead and have a giving tree after all.
Shoppers can pick a tag and purchase the item and then drop it off at the WMCA new office next to the Healthy Community Coalition’s building (several big red arrows will direct you to the right) on Church Street in East Wilton. Donations are most welcome through Dec. 22.
Gifts are delivered by many fire and police departments, NorthStar ambulance crews and other volunteers. Organizers are hoping to help more than 1,000 families this year.
“The community continues to be generous – individually, businesses, churches and other groups,” Brophy said earlier this week. “There’s still plenty of time to donate, both time, gifts or monetary gifts.”
For more information call 645-3764, ext. 5287.
