‘In a community crisis’ for the holidays

By Mark Millican
Dalton Daily Citizen

November 22, 2008 10:53 pm

— This holiday season Whitfield County has 229 children in foster care, yet only 28 foster homes in which to place them. That means only “75 to 92 kids” can be placed here, said Debra Carter with the Whitfield Department of Family and Children Services.
“The other children go to group homes, therapeutic foster homes and foster homes in other counties,” she said. “The majority of children in our care are not in this county.”
But that — and the economic uncertainty surrounding this year’s holiday season — isn’t stopping Carter and two of her colleagues, Teresa Bredeson and Linda Wells, from continuing their Secret Santa program. Now in its 23rd year, the endeavor tries to see that foster kids are not forgotten during the Christmas season. And that includes the children sent outside Whitfield.
“This year, everybody’s worried about the economy,” said Bredeson. “So many people are out of work. It’s hard on everybody. A lot of our big sponsors (in the past) haven’t come through.”
She noted it’s harder to provide for older kids in foster care.
“Their clothes cost more, and most people like to shop for children,” she said. “Several companies have stepped up and started toy drives, but we also need toys especially for teens.”
The Secret Santa program will take donated toys, and foster children may also be “adopted” for Christmas giving by families, churches, civic groups and individuals.
A report released in September from the Giving USA Foundation found that historically, charitable giving has not decreased during tough economic times, including several recessions over the past 40 years. Representatives of area nonprofit agencies and ministries are hoping this proves true again, but are well aware that the Northwest Georgia carpet industry has been hit hard by the economic downturn, with many people losing their jobs due to cutbacks and plant closings.
“We are in a community crisis here,” said Sheila Reed, director of Harvest Outreach ministries. “Every community is not hit as hard as we are. We’re not as versatile as some communities, and there are a lot of people looking for jobs.”
Reed said in the last six months her storefront ministry at 207 E. Morris St. has tripled the number of meals it serves each day. Officials there are gearing up for their annual Thanksgiving Day dinner, to be held this year at the North Georgia Fairgrounds on Legion Drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just last week, Seo’s Martial Arts of Dalton bought and donated 52 turkeys for the meal.
“We also have a lot of individuals and churches cooking cakes and casseroles and bringing them on Thanksgiving,” said Carolyn Marcus, who with her husband Herman has volunteered at Harvest Outreach for around a year now. The outreach expects to feed approximately 2,000 people on Thanksgiving and still needs one-gallon cans of green beans, corn and cranberry sauce. But they will take donations of smaller cans, Reed said.
Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus will be making a special trip down from Tennessee on Christmas Day, so the ministry is also accepting toys for children of all ages, plus socks, underwear and toboggans for adults. They ask that gifts be wrapped with a tag describing the contents on the outside.
Providence Ministries will also be hosting a Thanksgiving Day dinner from noon to 1:30 p.m., and will continue to serve into the afternoon. Last year the ministry fed around 600 people, but program coordinator Brian Croft said, “If the economy is any sign, that number should be higher.”
Providence Ministries has “not nailed down the times yet,” but will celebrate a traditional Christmas Day at its location at 711 S. Hamilton St. with food, singing and the reading of Christmas stories from the Bible.
“We normally give away toys,” Croft said, “but a lot of (carpet) mills that gave in the past aren’t giving. We’re not crying wolf yet, but the mills are laying people off. If any churches or civic groups can rally up a toy drive — unwrapped toys — we’d be glad to have help.”
The Concerned Citizens of Dalton-Whitfield County will serve a meal on Thanksgiving Day for the elderly, sick and homebound from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dalton Community Center, 218 Fredrick St. Persons who are shut-in can call the center (706-278-8205) and delivery will be arranged.
Murray County’s annual Community Christmas endeavor charges a minimal fee to parents for quality toys, and uses those funds to “reinvest” for more toys. But outside financial help is critical, and it’s way down this season.
“We raised $47,000 last year,” said director Merinda Frost, “but we’re only up to $18,000 (in donations) this year. We may have to go down to two toys a child — we normally do three toys — and we’ve talked about buying less expensive toys.”
Frost said the seasonal entity is also accepting donations of shoes, socks and pajamas.
“Toys are great,” she said, “but when the nation is in this kind of crisis kids need clothes to go to school. There are people who have never been in this position before, and they’re embarrassed. They’re losing their homes, and they don’t know where to go. This is the worst I’ve ever seen it.”
Murray County Red Cross at 211 W. Fort St. in Chatsworth is taking clothing donations for Community Christmas. The application period is over with the cutoff at 1,400 families enrolled, but Frost said other families who did not make it onto the list can be adopted for Christmas gift giving. Red Cross also accepts donations for food on a daily basis.
Both the Murray County and the Dalton Whitfield Red Cross chapters are partnering with Bi-Lo Charities. Through the chain’s Holiday Hunger Relief Program, shoppers at local Bi-Lo grocery stores may purchase a brown bag of groceries containing nonperishables that will be given to the Red Cross.
“We add other stuff to the bags and they go to the food pantry,” said Laura Cleary with the Dalton Whitfield chapter. “Whitfield County residents only will need to call in and make appointments to pick up food.”
Director Lori Rosen of the Murray chapter reported October saw a record number of people coming in and requesting food.
“We almost had 1,000 come in,” she said. “More people are saying they’ve been laid off and can’t make ends meet. I’ve been doing this for six years now and I’m blown away by the need for our services. We’re also seeing an increased number of homeless people.”
The Salvation Army in Dalton was going to serve 500 families with boxed food and toys, but moved that number up to 527 families before cutting off applications. Event coordinator Patricia Thompson said now they are referring families to United Way of Northwest Georgia, which is serving as a clearinghouse.
“People can still adopt a family through our Angel Tree program,” Thompson said. “They can go to (Walnut Square Mall) and pull an angel off the tree, buy for the family, and bring the clothes back to the mall or here to our headquarters (1101 N. Thornton Ave.). Someone will be at the table at the mall to help out until closing time.”

mmillican 11/19/08 breakout box

To donate:

Harvest Outreach
207 E. Morris St.
Dalton, GA 30721
(706) 280-0883
Food, especially cans of green beans, corn and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving

Providence Ministries
711 S. Hamilton St.
Dalton, GA 30720
(706) 275-0268
Food, unwrapped new toys, clothes

Whitfield DFACS/Secret Santa
P.O. Box 1203
Dalton, GA 30722 (mailing address for financial donations)
1142 N. Thornton Ave.
Dalton (toys)

Murray County Community Christmas
c/o Murray County Red Cross
211 W. Fort St.
Chatsworth (for new clothes and food))
P.O. Box 1648
Chatsworth, GA 30705 (for financial donations)
murraycommunitychristmas.org
(706) 280-5877

Dalton Whitfield Red Cross
1101 S. Thornton Ave.
Dalton, GA 30720
(706) 278-5144

United Way of Northwest Georgia
P.O. Box 566
Dalton, GA 30722
(706) 226-4357

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