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Hope for Marshall County hosts multiple events to raise money to assist residents of Marshall County. They hold a Fill the Sleigh event to assist local families with Christmas. Courtesy photo
The holiday seasons can be a joyous time for some and a daunting time for others. Fortunately, there are organizations that can assist to make the daunting times easier.
Whether it is food for a Thanksgiving feast, gifts for the children on Christmas morning or a warm pair of gloves for the less fortunate, Hope for Marshall County is thinking of everyone this holiday season.
LocatedinMarshallCounty, Okla.thesmallbutmighty nonprofit organization, Hope for Marshall County is a food pantry that extends far beyond food for the table. Not only does this organization provide many different essential items and services for the area residents but it also serves as a community service project for over forty local teenagers during the holiday season.
Those teenagers range from junior high to high school students who serve their community through the charity in return for needed service hours for school programs. DirectorGwenWilson said it is great for everyone involved.
Christmas time brings Hope for Marshall County’s biggest project to the forefront, Fill the Sleigh. This is the fourteenth year for Fill the Sleigh, and it is expected to serve around four hundred people in the Marshall County area this Christmas.
With a large number to accommodate in December, the organizersandvolunteersget to work early in November with pop up donation sites around the county for the community to participate.
The donations sites include pictures with Santa and other holiday characters for families to enjoy. The characters are typically Elsa from Frozen, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and even the Grinch. People can bring their own camera or have professional photos done by Bri Elena Photography with Santa this yearatLandscapesandMore in Madill on November 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Items needed to fill the sleigh are not only for less fortunate community children but also the senior citizens in the area. It’s Hope for Marshall County’s top priority to maintain privacy and respect for all those who need assistance.
For help this season, people can privately message theHFMCFoodPantryFacebook page and answer three simple questions: Any food allergies, any skin allergies andanyspecialneeds.Wilson said privacy is a number one priority for the organization.
“It is the mission of organization to maintain privacy,” said Wilson.
Extra steps have been taken by the organization to ensure the privacy of those needing assistance. Wrapping paper will also be distributed to the recipients for them to wrap as if they purchased the items themselves. During the process of passing out items, one car is loaded every fifteen minutes to ensure that privacy is maintained. It is the hope of all the volunteers that each recipient gets to maintain their pride while receiving help says the organization.
Some of the items needed to fill the sleigh this year are new and unwrapped toys, wrapping paper and tape, word books, coloring books, board games, teen gifts, blankets and gloves. The items are needed by December 5 so they can be sorted for their Christmas distribution on December 11.
The group’s kickoff event was a live online auction that was held last weekend with over one hundred and fifty items up for bidding. Looking forward, Hope for Marshall County’s toy drive and characters will be set up at the Kingston Christmas Parade, MadillChristmasParadeand Merry Meadows’ A Country Christmas all with a cast of characters to get those photo opportunities in for the holidays. Drop off sites are at the following businesses: Landscapes and More, Marshall County Home Health, Sparlin Realty, Madill Dollar General, Lebanon Dollar General, Atwoods and the Hope Pantry. For additional information, ways to help and any questions please see HFMC Food Pantry Facebook page.