Sharing Is Caring Community Christmas needs donations and volunteers

Published 5:56 pm Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Sharing Is Caring Community Christmas Store is open Saturday at the North Georgia Fairgrounds. Led by The Salvation Army, community volunteers are starting getting the store ready for pre-qualified, local families.

Dalton/Whitfield Sharing Is Caring Community Christmas is a community-based project under the auspice of The Salvation Army. The program is designed to provide holiday assistance for families with children in Whitfield County who are living in poverty or whose family’s circumstances might prevent them from providing Christmas gifts to their children.

Throughout the fall, parents qualified for the program by attending instructional classes to earn the required three certificates to shop in the Christmas store. Most of these classes were at local schools and community centers taught by teachers, social workers and volunteers. More than 100 classes were offered at different times of the day. Topics such as “Darkness to Light—Child Sexual Abuse Prevention,” “How to Use Coupons/Budget Your Meals,” “Creating a Homework Station at Home,” “How to Communicate With Your Child’s School,” “Parents’ Guide to Social Media” and more were provided.

The group relies on the generosity and volunteerism of the Dalton community to make the program a success. Collaboratively, it will serve about 300 families.

“Our families appreciate the opportunity to participate in the program,” said Lori McDaniel, Dalton Whitfield County Family Connection coordinator. “By attending the classes, participants learn ways to make their families stronger. Some of our families even attend extra classes and share the info with their extended family members and neighbors. Many of these classes are taught at area schools and other community locations participants feel comfortable going which helps the families feel welcomed and a part of their community,”

Toys and clothing will be provided for more than 1,000 children, ages infant to 18. They will accept donations of new toys at the North Georgia Fairgrounds (commercial exhibits building 2) through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Without the support of the community, Christmas would not be possible for these families.

Financial donations are also very important to the program. To mail financial donations, send them to Sharing Is Caring Christmas Fund, C/O Jackie Taylor/finance chairman, 405 School St., Dalton, GA, 30720. Make checks payable to Whitfield County Family Connection.

Contact McDaniel at (706) 934-2851 or email sharingiscaringchristmas@gmail.com with any questions to sign up to volunteer, or go straight to the online signup at www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E4EABAB23A3FF2-sharing3.