SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Charities in the Ozarks are in the home stretch of making sure children in our area have a Merry Christmas.
“But the toy drive is going really well. We’ve got businesses. We’ve got churches. We’ve got some schools possibly even helping us out with the toy drive. So the community is really coming out to help us out during this during this time of need,” says Tim Smith with Crosslines.
Crosslines operates its annual toy drive yearly. Representatives of the charity say donations have been coming in steadily, but they need more gifts to place under trees this season.
“These kids that need that, that Christmas need that smile on Christmas morning. They deserve that, and they get that, you know, it’s a prime opportunity for the community to help these students. You know, feel loved, feel dignified, you know, when they may not normally have that opportunity on a Christmas morning,” says Smith.
But it isn’t just toys and food needed this holiday season.
“We’re really in need of children’s coats. We’ve got more adults than do for children right now, and with the holiday sign-up right now. We’re just going through a lot of coats,” says Sherry Cliffton, a volunteer with Crosslines.
Used coats can be dropped off at Glo Cleaners, who will clean them before giving them to Crosslines. New coats can be dropped off at Crosslines on Division.
“Every kid deserves dignity when they’re in school, and they hear all their friends are getting all these great gifts for Christmas,” said Smith. “It’s not fair that they may not be getting those gifts as well. So, it’s really on our community to come out and help these kids who need that Christmas smile on Christmas morning. They deserve that, and they get that. It’s a prime opportunity to help these students feel loved and dignified when they may not normally have that opportunity on Christmas morning.”
For the staff at Crosslines, the help and volunteers make it all possible, “There’s no way us as a staff or council of churches can do this on our own. So, you know, to us as a staff but also to our volunteers. It means the world that we get to have a little bit of an opportunity to help out these kids in need this Christmas season,” says Smith.
Crosslands will distribute holiday baskets and toys to families who signed up on December 16 at the fairgrounds in Springfield.
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Volunteer Ozarks: Crosslines
For the full story: Crosslines asking for more donations as the Christmas distribution dates near