On July 21st, many area churches, civic organizations, businesses and individuals gathered in Calhoun First Baptist’s Christian Life Center to provide an early Christmas to 100 pre-selected families from Calhoun and Gordon County.

This included 165 adults and 288 children. The families received: new socks and underwear for the children, dental supplies, first aid supplies, community resource assistance, Medicaid information, book bags, children and teen books, school supplies, personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies for the home, bags of food, devotional books, New Testaments, and some were given haircut vouchers.

The families were also able to choose clothing and shoes if their correct sizes were available from the thousands of pieces of gently used donated items.

The Christmas in July Quarter Sale was held on July 28. $468 was made – a quarter at a time.

That’s over 1,600 items of clothing being sold. The money raised from this sale will be divided equally among the three main food banks in Gordon County: VAC (Voluntary Action Center),

Blewer, and 7th Day Adventist Church. Leftover clothing will be carried to Kentucky by the volunteers from Belmont Baptist Church. Every item donated for Christmas in July was given to some family in need.

During the course of this 2 weekend event (set up/actual events/clothing sale), over 195 individual volunteers gathered to help their neighbors in need. Without so many working together, this could not have happened.

The Christmas Elves appreciated the help from these sponsors: Family Advocates from the Calhoun City Schools and Gordon County Schools, DFACS, Roberta Charbonneau of Family Connections, Lee Tanner of Right From the Start Medicaid Eligibility, Kool Smiles of Dalton, Kiwanis Club of Calhoun, Shaw – plants D4, D6, DD, LJ, WF, D5, D7, Dr. Ku, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, United Way, Gordon Hospital, Piggly Wiggly, Dollar General, Beta Tau of Delta Kappa Gamma, Kroger, and Jack and Karen Crosko (Roswell, Ga.). Churches who participated were:

Allen Chapel AME, Barrett Road Church of God, Belmont Baptist, Blackwood Springs Baptist, Craneater Community Church, Cup of Life Worship Center, East Calhoun Church of God, First

Baptist Sunday School, First Methodist UMC Sunday School, First Presbyterian, Friendship Baptist, Knights of Columbus of St. Clement’s Catholic, Meadowdale Baptist, Mt. Pleasant UMC, New Echota UMC, New Life Ministries, Oostanaula Baptist, Overcomers World Church (Woodstock, Ga.), Plainville Independent Methodist, Reeves Baptist, Resaca Baptist, Salem Baptist Women on Mission, Seventh Day Adventist, St. Clement’s Catholic, St. Timothy’s Episcopal, Trinity Baptist, Wesley Chapel UMC, West Union Baptist, and World Harvest.

Haircut vouchers were from: Comfort and Lewis at Crown and Glory, Faye from Brown’s Barber Shop, Kristi and Yolanda from Shaggy Chic, Betty from Max’s Beauty Bar, Michelle and Lynn from Gordon Hills Barber Shop, Lula and another beautician from Tight Kuts and More, and Kendra of Kendra’s Haircut House.

Lunch was provided for the volunteers who worked the day of Christmas in July by: Chick-Fil-A, Little Caesars, Papa John’s, and Papa’s Pizza to Go.

A very important addition to Christmas in July and another person that needs to be thanked is : Santa, Lamar May.

If any sponsors were left out it; was not done on purpose. All help was greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Christmas Elves

Anne Barton – 1st UMC, Jan Drexler – St. Clement’s Catholic, Judy Meadows and Mary Sterling –Meadowdale Baptist, Pam Treglown – Plainville Independent Methodist, Roberta Charbonneau – St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Vickie Spence, Linda Abercrombie, Katherine Dempsey, Dot Broome and Annette McMillan – 1st Baptist, Sue Stewart, Davina Pass and Rosellen Burns – New Echota UMC.