Holiday Helping Hands
Help the Charities Who Help our Community 

Each month, we list several charitable organizations and support organizations, which need help fulfilling their mission to reach out to the needy and/or less fortunate, in our Towne Lake Area Clubs (pages 92 and 94). During the holidays, we all tend to think more about these individuals and their trials and tribulations and want to help them. Listed below are just some of the organizations in the Cherokee County area that, during the holidays, receive an increasing amount of calls from families and individuals who need help. We hope this list helps you when you are considering volunteering your time or making donations.

The Cherokee County Boys and Girls Club will host its Annual Christmas Party for more than 175 children ages 6 through 16. The food for the party will be provided, but the club is in need of gifts for the children. The party is scheduled for December 19 and the Club requests all donations be in by December 12. Gifts are particularly needed for the teen age group. Items such as gift cards, sports balls, CDs and gift certificates are a few suggestions. Monetary gifts are also accepted as they can be used to purchase gifts. For more information, please call (770) 720-7712.

Cherokee County Department of Family and Children's Services (DFACS) will sponsor a Secret Santa program. The program will match a foster child's wish list with a sponsor. This year, DFACS hopes to provide Christmas gifts for the more than 400 children currently in foster care. Sponsors can donate as much or as little as they can afford. They can donate cash or purchase gifts from a wish list. Gifts are requested to be donated unwrapped. DFACS also needs a secure building to house the Secret Santa gifts. For more information, please call Lou Fowler at (770) 720-3610. DFACS is always in need of Foster Parents. The rewards are tremendous in helping a child in need. The next meeting for those interested in becoming a Foster Parent is January 8. For more information on the Foster Parent Program, please call Pat Gayle at (770) 720-3610,

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Reserve will sponsor its annual Christmas Joy Program. The Unit will sponsor a "store" where parents can pick out toys for their children. For older children, the Unit will be sponsoring "Shop with a Cop." To apply for the Christmas Joy Program, please call (770) 479-0502. To make a donation for the Christmas Joy program, please send it to: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Reserve Unit, c/o Ginny Soper, 150 Chattin Drive, Canton, GA 30115.

The Cherokee County Senior Services is presenting its Annual Adopt a Senior Program. By donating a few simple and inexpensive items, it makes a big difference in a Senior's life. Volunteers will be matched to a Senior and a wish list will be provided. Some of the items needed include nonperishable foods such as single servings of fruits, vegetables and meats. They also need toiletries, blankets, robes, slippers, etc. To adopt a Senior, please contact Sharon Smith at (770) 704-2320. For information on all the services available to Seniors in Cherokee County, please call Olene Darby at (770) 345-5312.

Christmas Wishes is a program in which volunteers help buy Christmas presents for children of low-income families in the County. Christmas Wishes is looking for volunteers to sponsor children for the holiday season. Sponsors can purchase one gift or all the gifts on the child's wish list. Current volunteers are making ornaments to hang at local restaurants' "angel trees." Each ornament will list a child, the age of the child, clothing size, and items on his or her wish list. The angel trees can be found at four Canton restaurants: Ryan's Steakhouse, 150 Keith Drive; Shoney's, 150 Marietta Highway; Family Tradition, 6321 Hickory Flat Highway; and Papa's Pizza To Go, 150 Riverstone Parkway.

Feed My Lambs is a non-profit, local ministry whose mission is to open tuition-free Christian preschools for needy and underprivileged children in metro Atlanta. For the past 17 years, the ministry has held Happy Birthday Jesus parties at their preschools. They provide each child with a Happy Birthday Jesus sweatshirt, a winter hat, mittens and a gift. A dinner is also provided. The ministry needs financial donations to assist

with the gifts. They also need volunteers to assist in buying, preparing and cooking the meals. For more information, please call Robin Gibson at (770) 795-9349 or email her at robin@feedmylambs.net.

Holiday Wings of Hope, a holiday project administered by the Anna Crawford Children's Center, collects holiday gifts for less fortunate children and teenagers served by the Center. Each year, the children are treated to a party and toys at Christmas. Families submit wish lists and the Center fulfills as many wishes as possible. Donations of food, toys and clothing are needed. To drop off donations or receive a wish list, please call Leigh Henry at (770) 592-9779.

MUST Ministries will hold its "Annual Toys are a Must" program. The program allows parents and children to shop for each other at no cost. Children typically receive three toys each, plus stocking stuffers. Items needed include new toys, Secret Santa Shop gifts and wrapping supplies. There is a particular need for items for teenagers such as balls (soccer, basketball, football) board games, CDs, model cars, diaries, clock radios and gift cards to name a few. The shop will be open Monday - Friday, December 8 - 19, by appointment only. Children will be able to shop for their parents on Saturday, December 20. For more information, please call (770) 479-5397.

Papa's Pantry is a year-round charity providing assistance to families in need. Papa's Pantry provides food assistance and support through donated resources. There are several ways to help Papa's Pantry ease the burden to families in crisis. The Adopt a Family program is a commitment to provide for a family's perishable needs such as milk, eggs, meat and produce. There are also two drop off locations for non-perishable donations: The TowneLaker, 1025 Rose Creek Drive, Suite 340 and Sun and Snow Tanning, 200 Parkbrooke Drive. For a complete list of needs, visit www.papaspantry.org or call (770) 926-7128.

Hillside United Methodist Church is sponsoring Operation Shoebox. Shoeboxes are filled with simple gifts and treasures and sent to children in war-torn and poverty stricken areas. The church will collect items for the shoeboxes as well as function as a collection site for shoeboxes throughout the community. If you wish to contribute any items for the shoeboxes, please contact the Hillside Music Ministry at (770) 924-4777 ext. 112.

Hillside is also sponsoring their Annual Angel Tree from November 16 through December 14. This program serves 500 needy children in Cherokee County, and these children would not have a Christmas without being "adopted." The tree, located in the Visitation Room at the church, has stars representing individual children. The stars contain a child's name, age, needs, and wish list items. Anyone in the community can adopt a star and make a child's holiday season happier. For more information on the Angel Tree program, please call Diana Calvert at (770) 516-6212 or LeeAnn Jones at (770) 928-7449.

The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to ring bells during its Annual Season Kettle Drive in Cherokee County. Volunteers are needed to man the kettle sites from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday and Saturdays beginning the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas as well as Christmas Eve. Individuals can volunteer for shifts as short as an hour. Money raised through the drive is used by the Salvation Army Center in Canton to help needy Cherokee County residents. For more information or to volunteer, please call (770) 720-4316.