Christmas Neighbors make holiday brighter

Thursday, December 4, 2008 2:14 PM CST

It doesn't take a red suit, white beard and sack full of money to be Santa to a family in need.

Each year more than 600 families in Jefferson County sign up to either be adopted or to participate in a toy giveaway at the Jefferson County fairgrounds. More than 80 families are still waiting to be adopted.

The only requirement is a $25 to $30 toy and food for a holiday meal, said Helen Stowe, president of Christmas Neighbors, which has been matching sponsors to needy families for 56 years.

“You don't have to do a lot,” said Darlene Hemiller, who works for Western Industries of Watertown. “You do what you can. Just one toy and a pair of pants and a shirt can mean a lot.”

Employees from Western Industries take a Santa Claus along with them when they deliver their goods.

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“We try to get the child's favorite toy and have them sit on Santa's lap to open it,” Hemiller said.

“We take a picture because a lot of families can't afford mall photos with Santa.”

Hemiller said she has found that helping others makes her realize how blessed she is.

“The children we've had with Santa hug you, thank you and cry, and the parents cry when the child gets his favorite toy. It's awesome” Hemiller said. “One girl wanted the game ‘Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader' so bad. She opened it and gave all of us hugs.”

Employees at Western Industries hold a craft sale and a bake sale to raise money to sponsor families. The company makes a cash donation and also donates a turkey and a ham for each family.

Hemiller, who is on the company's entertainment committee, makes an angel tree with ornaments that list a toy or article of clothing that employees can donate so there will be more money to buy food.

“Two moms I talked to this year broke down and cried. For sponsors to listen to them Š They are so appreciative,” Hemiller said.

Lyle Wuestenberg, who owns J&L Tire of Johnson Creek with his brother Jim, said, “We feel fortunate to have a good business and we want to help take care of people who have misfortunes.”

In the past, J&L has contributed money to the program. This year employees will get involved buying gifts and food for families.

“Last year there were families that never got tended to,” Wuestenberg said. “ I have a little soft spot for that.”

J&L is sponsoring 10 families this year. One of the families has six children and each of the remaining nine families has one child each.

When J&L left it up to Christmas Neighbors to pick the families, volunteers purposely chose families that are hard to match with sponsors.

A disproportionate number of families that don't find sponsors are those with single children.

Stowe explained that sponsors often want to adopt families with several children because it is fun to shop for presents for children.

Families that don't get sponsors are directed to the toy giveaway Dec. 17 at the fairgrounds. In 2007, 153 families were adopted by 100 sponsors. There were 450 families in the toy giveaway.

Stowe said one woman called to sign up her neighbor, a mother with an only child. The woman later called back to see if her neighbor had been adopted yet.

“She said, ‘This family is in a desperate situation.'”

Stowe said she likes to hear from others who say a family they know is having a hard time, but advises getting the family's permission first.

She acknowledged that there are a few people who try to take advantage of the program but the majority of the people are truly needy. As a way to verify need, Christmas Neighbors asks applicants for the name of an agency they are working with that serves low-income people.

“I have heard some sponsors say of the families, ‘They've got nicer stuff than we have,'” Stowe said.

“People say, ‘How can they be low income?'” Stowe said. “That's hard for me.”

Some of the families have been hit by illnesses, layoffs or other crises.

“A couple could get divorced and she has the nice car and house but has no money,” Stowe said.

“You have to be in a position of seeing it or knowing it,” said Stowe.

“I tell the volunteers who answer the phones, ‘This program is for children. We can't judge the parents. It's not the kids' fault. We can't help what the parents do with their money. We want to give the kids a Christmas.'”

Flooding hit Jefferson County hard this year, but so far Stowe hasn't seen an impact on the program. The bad economy is having more of an effect.

“This is going to be a sad year for a lot of families,” said Stowe, “We sure need sponsors. We're not getting a lot.”

Sponsors can include individuals, families, businesses, schools or civic groups. The deadline to call Christmas Neighbors at 920-674-4499 is Wednesday. Appli-cants must be residents of Jefferson County and must sign up by Friday.