While families in Athens County are making their Christmas lists, Athens County Children Services will be in charge of checking them twice and securing every child a gift under the tree this year.
Now in its 24th
year, Children Services' annual Santa Tree will provide 1,104 Athens County children an average of three gifts per child.
The project runs on $6,800 of community donations and benefits children up to 18 years old, said Sherri Oliver, Athens County Children Services public relations and community events coordinator, in an email.
"We're giving presents to all of the children who are involved with children services – foster care, Help Me Grow – and to people who are living at home with their families working with a case worker," Oliver said.
Children directly involved with Athens County Children Services comprise a little fewer than half the children receiving donations this year, Oliver said. About 503 children are directly involved with Children Services; the remaining 601 children receiving gifts are from families living below the federal poverty line.
"Each year, we take applications during the month of November starting on the first Monday and ending the Monday after Thanksgiving," Oliver said.
Santa Trees are set up in four locations throughout Athens County, including the main tree at The Market on State and auxillary trees at Freed Chiropractic, Athens Sonic and O’Bleness Memorial Hospital.
Thirty-two businesses, churches and organizations are partnering with Athens County Children Services this year to help purchase gifts.
"We accept both gifts and monetary donations. Any monetary gifts that come in purchase gifts for the children," Oliver said, adding that the deadline for donations is Dec. 14.
Dr. Eric Freed of Freed Chiropractic said he first chose to sponsor a Santa Tree at his office five years ago after learning that Toys for Tots, a similar program often sponsored by Athens-area businesses, donates to Columbus-area children.
"I thought with the poverty rate (in Athens) we should be supporting Athens kids, not Columbus kids," Freed said. "A lot of these (Athens) kids would not be getting presents if it weren’t for (the Santa Tree)."
The Santa Trees are decorated with ornaments with the name, age, sex and gift requests of a child. The tree at Freed Chiropractic was set up last week and has 15 of its 20 original ornaments remaining. As of Sunday morning, only two ornaments remained on the main Santa Tree at The Market on State.
Oliver said that, though Athens County Children Services has had leftover ornaments in projects past, they plan on running out early this year.
"This is my fourth year doing the project, and I’ve seen each year a greater response from the community," Oliver said. "As more people find out about it, more families make it a tradition to go with their children to the mall to pick out gifts."
