THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512020117
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
``Bah, humbug!'' cried city employees.
That was the reaction when the decision was made earlier this year to discontinue the Chesapeake Christmas Committee, the seasonal volunteer program that has helped needy residents during the holidays for the past quarter century.
The Christmas Committee raised funds to help needy families enjoy the holidays. Money raised through bake sales, employee contributions and other fund-raising efforts, such as employee talent shows, were deposited into the fund and distributed to needy residents in the form of clothes, food and toys.
But last Christmas the fund helped its last family as committee members concluded that organizing the events and overseeing the funds had become too daunting.
``The needs of the citizens became more than we could handle,'' said Debbie Lewis, resource coordinator with the social services department. ``At the same time we began to see a drop in funding and financial support from the city departments.
``We just didn't have the manpower to keep up with the needs of the public.''
Although the committee is now a part of Christmas past, little has changed at City Hall. Part of the void left by the now defunct committee is still being filled by the volunteer efforts of many of the city's departments and employees.
``Nearly all the departments have agreed to do some kind of special project for the season,'' said Lavera Lawrence of the city's finance department.
Employees of the South Norfolk Memorial Library are planning a trip together to Greenbrier Mall to pick three or four name tags from the mall's angel tree.
``We have a fairly small staff,'' said Elizabeth Evans, branch manager. ``We thought this would be the best way for us to help.''
But many larger departments are taking on bigger projects. Employees of the Central Library are stuffing Christmas stocking with toys and knickknacks for various age groups.
``We think we'll have about 40 stockings by the time this is all over,'' said Carole King, assistant director of the Chesapeake Central Library.
The Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring the ``Stocking of Care'' campaign, a variation on the mall's angel tree. The stocking tree, which is decorated with several dozen small red Christmas stockings, sits in the main lobby of City Hall. City employees are asked to pick a stocking, which has the first name and age of one of Chesapeake's foster children, and buy for that child.
With all the volunteer efforts, former organizers of the Christmas Committee hope the city can reach as many families this year as they have in the past.
``We accepted 300 applications from people in need last year,'' said Lewis.
According to the Salvation Army, the need is great.
``We've gotten about 600 applications from families in Chesapeake,'' said Betty Liston, business administrator of the Salvation Army for the Tidewater Area Command. ``That's double from last year because we're picking up the families that the Christmas committee normally handled.''
But the Salvation Army said they'll be able to reach every family that needs assistance this year.
``The families will receive two new toys per child as well as a family goody bag, a food basket and any gifts that came from the local angel trees,'' said Liston. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
A ``Stocking of Care'' hangs in the main entrance of City Hall.
by CNB