‘A community of togetherness’: Sharing is Caring spreads Christmas cheer (with VIDEO)

Published 10:07 pm Sunday, December 16, 2018

Debby Siever was eying a table full of toys for little boys.

“This is really great,” she said. “My son will enjoy any of these.”

Siever was one of more than 260 parents walking inside the agricultural building at the North Georgia Fairgrounds off Legion Drive Saturday during the Dalton-Whitfield County Sharing is Caring Community Christmas store, a community-based project designed to provide Christmas for children whose families’ circumstances might prevent them from receiving Christmas gifts.

“This is our ninth year,” said Carlene Mutter, coordinator of the Dalton-Whitfield County Family Connection. “It’s a partnership of the Salvation Army, our area schools and agencies and the Dalton-Whitfield County Family Connection. We will have 260 families plus come through here today. That represents over a thousand children.”

Families are typically identified through the school systems, area day cares or local agencies.

Parents must complete classes on topics such as household budgeting, cooking healthy meals and homework assistance.

“They pick the classes they want to attend,” Mutter said. “They attend three of those classes, each an hour long. They get to pick out the gifts they want. They get three gifts per child. Plus, we have a stocking-stuffer table and they get about 10 to 15 stocking stuffers per child. They get a bag of clothes and they get a battery pack and a food gift card.”

Patricia Thompson, business manager for the Salvation Army, says the event “builds a community of togetherness.”

Hugh Inglis, one of several volunteers on hand from from Dalton First United Methodist Church, was helping to keep a table full of gifts for boys stocked.

“I’ve done this for about four or five years,” he said. “I enjoy it, and it’s a great event for the community.”

Perla Sandoval, a senior at Dalton High School, was one of about 30 cadets from the school’s Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) helping out with the event.

“We do a lot of volunteering,” she said. “We like to give back to the community. I did this last year. I like to see the parents shop for their kids. They always have a big smile on their faces, and that makes me glad.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Heriberto Vazquez, the unit’s senior Army instructor, says volunteering is a very important part of the JROTC program.

“They love to serve the community,” he said. “They love to come here and give back. They know that families who might not be able to provide gifts to their children are walking out of here with gifts.”

Nancy Ross, another volunteer from Dalton First United Methodist, was helping parents shop.

“I show them where the age-appropriate gifts for their children are,” she said. “If they are looking for a particular gift, I ask one of the people manning these tables if they have that. We just want them to have the opportunity to pick what they want.”