Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 9, 1994 TAG: 9412270036
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KEN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Over the months, they garnered enough support to feed and clothe an army, subsequently turning 14,000 square feet of once-empty floorspace into a fully loaded charity department store.
Thursday morning, it was finally open for business.
"I'm from New York and we don't have anything like this," said Rose Marie Reilly, a volunteer who worked the phones for the Christmas Store's grand opening. "It's really wonderful. The whole county comes together for this."
The Christmas Store, which operates out of the old Hecks building in Christiansburg, originated 12 years ago as a vision of three Montgomery County families who wanted to bring a "Christmas with dignity" to needy families in the area.
"Do batteries come with this?" one woman asked, her eyes studying the instructions on a children's game.
A volunteer left for the stockroom, quickly returning with a new package of batteries.
The shopper left with a new toy.
The store allows needy families to shop for their children's Christmas gifts on a points system, rather than relying on door-to-door donations.
Parents or other primary care-givers are allowed 100 points per child to purchase high-quality new goods, which range from 10 to 40 points. Used goods are free to parents after they make their rounds through the store.
"It's so delightful to be able to provide things that people are in need of," said Mary Childress, co-chairwoman on the store's executive board. "Our building looks wonderful and morale is great."
Thursday's opening was a scene of well-organized chaos, with shoppers and volunteers roaming the aisles of the clothing, toy, food and houseware departments while folk musicians played in the background among the Christmas lights and decorations.
Dozens of shoppers waited in the Christmas Store lobby as volunteers met others at the door. After hearing their names called, shoppers were met by volunteer hosts or hostesses who led them through the different departments of the store.
On the other end of the store, children played in designated areas while their parents selected their Christmas gifts. Children also could shop for their parents and have a small gift wrapped by volunteers.
Behind the scenes, Christmas Store executive board members helped hosts and hostesses prepare for the shoppers, while department managers gathered goods for re-stocking the shelves.
"It's high-quality shopping," Childress said.
Childress said the volunteers who worked the departments knew the stock well enough that they could find nearly anything a shopper might request. They pair batteries with games and bottles with dolls so that they're ready for play on Christmas day.
But there is much more to the Christmas Store than toys, volunteers said.
The store collected 1,387 coats gathered by the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce, 6,000 cans of food donated from Virginia Tech, nearly 22 tons of food purchased from numerous distributors and thousands of other toys, clothes and housewares given by citizens throughout the county.
And they still need more.
"We still need money and we still need food," said Joyce Hendricks, a member of the store's executive board.
Hendricks said the store has collected $75,000 since the fund-raising drive began in September, enough to serve 1,394 families, but still not enough to reach their $110,000 goal.
Financial concerns notwithstanding, Childress said the 1994 Christmas Store has been the best yet.
"I think the Christmas Store shows that anything is possible," she said. "A lot of people did this. We go from nothing to what I think is something beautiful"
The Christmas Store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday, and walk-in applicants still will be considered.
by CNB