With the application deadline of Friday, December 1, it appears that the number of families applying for assistance with Blue Santa Christmas toys will exceed 300. Adela Martinez, Client Services and Community Outreach Specialist at CANHelp has been taking applications since November 1. She says that this year, the number of children in the households is greater while the number of families has remained largely the same. To qualify, families must meet guidelines including income limits and parental of guardianship of the children whose names appear on the application.
Adela Martinez, Client Services and Community Outreach at CANHelp is also a Blue Santa volunteer
With the application deadline of Friday December 1, it appears that the number of families applying for assistance with Blue Santa Christmas toys will exceed 300. Adela Martinez, Client Services and Community Outreach Specialist at CANHelp has been taking applications since November first and says that this year, the number of children in the households is greater that last year while the number of families has remained about the same. To qualify, the families must meet guidelines, including proof of income and parental or guardianship of the children whose names appear on the application.According to Executive Director Shanna Martin, CANHelp takes pride in being part of this community-wide effort to provide Christmas toys, with Hopkins County Law Enforcement taking the lead. If you haven’t donated in the 37 blue barrels located at the retail areas of town, then you can still “pitch in” new unwrapped toys. And you can donate toys during the Lions Club Christmas Parade on the night of December 1. Also you can take part in the two-day drive for toys on Monday December 4 and Tuesday December 5 on the parking lot of the Lowe’s store in Sulphur Springs. The donation site will be open all day and into the evening, In addition to accepting donations of toys that day, there will also be a fundraiser burger lunch both days prepared by Lowe’s, with proceeds going to the Blue Santa Fund.
Organizers set a goal of $30,000.00 for this year’s drive to cover expenses for the bicycles and toy wishes of the children accepted into the program. There are storage facilities around town for the toys already gathered and those which have been purchased through the year. On distribution day, a league of volunteers will orchestrate the distribution to each family at a central location in town. Once the toys are placed, the family can wrap the gifts and get ready for a Merry Christmas at home, made possible by the generosity of the Sulphur Springs/Hopkins County community.
