2023 Christmas Connection
Author: Brett Anderson, Christmas Connections
2023 Christmas Connection
Brett Anderson
Thank you to everyone who made this year such a success. This year our generous community helped 58 families that includes over 255 people!! 113 of those people were kids and our Angel Tree angels shopped for 108 of them!
Thanks to the families and businesses who took Angel Tree tags and shopped for children in need within these families so that they were able to have presents under their Christmas trees this year!
Without our angel tree angels we would never be able to operate and help these children. Special toy donations and the amazing assistance of Toys for Tots of Helena made it possible for kids to get more than one gift under the tree this year. A special thank you to 4H for giving families who wanted a fresh Christmas tree, not only that but also a stand and lights.
Donations this year were higher than they have been in a few years helping us to reach our goals for the year and also to be able to help us accomplish our mission of getting Christmas dinner and gifts to those families in need within our community. We would like to thank the following people and businesses for their donations of money or goods needed... Townsend Drug & Spirits, Bread & Butter Café, senior citizens from the Senior Center, Helping Hands, Bob’s Supermarket, Pam & Victor Sample, Trailhead Christian Fellowship Church, Tory & Lindsay Richtmyer, Carol Anderson, Brenda Phillips, Tayla Snapp, Townsend Rodeo, the Senior Center, Mountie Moose Bakery, the Potato Sellers, the Food Bank, Watson Irrigation, Costco, Rocky Mountain Supply, and True Value Town & Ranch Supply, and many more that wish to remain anonymous. This also includes many who put money in the donation jars at our fundraising events this year!!
Service to others is, in this Christmas Elf’s opinion, one of the most important ways to help others feel God’s love and healing power. Hours of volunteering is no easy task especially when life is so busy, but this year we have 250+ hours of time donated to this cause by our entire board, Tayla, Danni, Ryeann, Ed, Vivian, Jamie, Nancy, Ellen, Nate, Teresa, Christine, Michael, Arthur, Iain, Wyatt, Whitney, Donovan, Alex, Dawn, Jeff, Isaac, Spencer, David, Krystal, Amber, Jill, Judy, Elaine, Laura, Alex, Lisa, Kyzer, Archer, Patrick, Mary, Ephraim, Simeon, Jaiden, Judy, Val, Rachael, Monique and many others.
Special thanks go out to everyone who works at Reading Leaves and especially Rachael for being our center of operations during the holiday season. Not only do they allow us to put up the angel tree and receive applications, they give out applications, wrap presents, take note of who took angel tree gifts and be our cheerleaders when we are overwhelmed!!
Others who need a special thank you are Ed and Vivian at the Firehall, thank you for being a part of Operation Elf Minion!! We could not do it without the help of Townsend Schools, Senior Citizen Dinner Club, Headstart and Reading Leaves for getting applications out to those within our community. Thank you to the Big Sky Autism Project for letting us do a fundraiser at the Fun Run this summer and to Townsend Rodeo for letting us set up an Ice Cream Booth at the Fair and Rodeo. Thank you to the businesses who housed Toys for Tots boxes. Others who go the extra mile are Bob’s Supermarket, Deep Creek Pizza Co, Broadwater County Social Services Committee, Mountie Moose Bakery, the Springdale Colony, MT43, Shirley Wilson and her sewing circle and others who give of their time to assist and donate making our jobs easier.
We are forever grateful for those who sign up for help. You gave us the opportunity to serve you and did so with kindness and patience.
We love you Broadwater County and hope you had a wonderful Christmas and have a blessed New Year!
Love,
The Christmas Connection Board
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: I am not sure. I have pictures from Carol Anderson's Phone
Image 1 Caption: Christmas Connection volunteers getting ready to do a LOT of gift wrapping.
Photo Credits: Christmas Connection
Image 2 Caption: Gifts of all sizes and types
Photo Credits: Christmas Connection
Image 3 Caption: A never-ending bounty of gifts
Photo Credits: Christmas Connection
Image 4 Caption: Everyone hard at work
Photo Credits: Christmas Connection
Image 5 Caption: Toys for Tots volunteers getting ready to get to work.
Photo Credits: Christmas Connection
