Annual Christmas program gives toys, food to families

Hundreds of families will have happy holidays, thanks to the annual Christmas Clearinghouse program.

Distribution of toys for children and baskets of food to make traditional Christmas dinners took place at eight locations throughout Jefferson County this week. For many families, the Christmas Clearinghouse program is the only way children are able to unwrap presents Christmas morning, according to Watertown Salvation Army Capt. Evelyn M. Hopping.

“This is my favorite day of the year, of the season,” she said Wednesday. “My favorite part is knowing children are going to have toys underneath the Christmas tree on Christmas. It’s like being Santa.”

Although final numbers for the overall program won’t be calculated until late next week, Capt. Hopping said the Salvation Army alone put together 133 more food baskets than last year’s estimate of 500. The baskets contained a frozen turkey or fresh ham, vegetables, cereal, margarine, sparkling grape juice, potatoes, and coupons for milk, among other items.

“It’s good we’re able to assist so many people, but probably not a good sign for the economy,” Capt. Hopping said. “This is the first year in a while we’ve seen a spike in numbers.”

Tamarra A. Goodall, Watertown, said she applied for the Christmas Clearinghouse program to give her four children a nice Christmas she otherwise would not have been able to offer them.

“It means a lot,” she said. “I am grateful for the program. I wouldn’t be able to afford these luxuries because my oldest is into snowboarding and my girls are little divas.”

She also received some extra food to help her and the children through Christmas school vacation next week.

As families moved through the long line, volunteer helpers were met with simple “thank you” and “Merry Christmas” greetings.

Meggin B. Winne, Watertown, said those simple words sometimes don’t seem enough to express how she and other recipients feel toward the generosity of people in the community who donated toys for the effort.

“This helps a lot,” she said. “This is the first time I went through anything like this. I’m newly divorced, and this was more than what I expected.”

Nonprofits, food pantries and churches help organize the program, and the toy component is overseen by the Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County Inc. Clothes and toys were specific to each child’s size and/or interest, from tags community members selected from the Angel Tree in Salmon Run Mall earlier this month.

Each participating agency that handles distribution days pays for food baskets that are offered. The Salvation Army received extra help for its food baskets, as over 100 turkeys were leftover from the annual Thanksgiving Day dinner, and on Tuesday one woman dropped off 100 10-pound hams for the distribution day in Watertown.