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Shop, create a craft and help a child at Dayton Mall

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8:08 AM Friday, November 27, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving! This is the traditional day of the year when families and friends gather together to enjoy a sumptuous meal and give thanks for all their blessings.

Starting this weekend and in weeks to come, you can bless others who are not as fortunate this holiday season. This year, the headlined charity for Dayton Mall’s Magical Season of Giving is Hannah’s Treasure Chest.

The charitable organization was founded by Angela Addington in 2001, and named for her daughter, Hannah. She noticed that many children in the Miami Valley area were going without the basic needs of clothing, furniture and toys. The organization grew from just a handful of volunteers to a thriving nonprofit corporation servicing more than 50 area agencies operating out of a 4,000-square-foot warehouse on Westpark Road in Centerville.

“We are getting flooded with more phone calls than we ever have in the past. The need is greater by far this year, probably a 20 to 25 percent increase just for Christmas,” said Addington, a former Springboro resident who moved to Centerville two years ago. “And with this economy, many people who sponsored a family before are sponsoring an individual child. On the up side, we have some new sponsors and corporations that have signed on to help us. People are still giving back, so that is tremendous.”

On Saturday, Nov. 28, you can be among those generous people from noon to 4 p.m. at the Dayton Mall. There is a Paintbrush Pottery ornament painting event for children of all ages to decorating a Hannah’s Treasure Chest “Giving Angel” ornament to take home. It will be held by the Customer Service Desk near JCPenney’s. Paintbrush Pottery owner, Linda Mershad, is donating 500 ornaments, supplies and staff for this event.

“We’re looking forward to people coming out and painting something special for their Christmas tree,” said Paintbrush Pottery manager Lee Mershad. “Angela is a very caring person and throughout the years she has really grown this organization.”

“It may sound kind of corny, but people who help children in need are angels on earth,” she said.

In addition, Hannah’s Treasure Chest will have a tree decorated with paper angels and the names of children available to be sponsored this holiday season. When gifts are turned in, the sponsor will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Dayton Mall gift certificate.

A second way to help is by bringing your children to the Treasure Chest Craft Event from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 19.

Children will make and take a decorated boxes home with them. There also will be a “Treasure Chest Wall” located near Guest Services. For every paper treasure chest placed on the Magical Season of Giving mural, the Dayton Mall will donate $1 to Hannah’s Treasure Chest for up to $5,000.

“It’s an interactive art project for people to write why they think children are treasures. We want to raise awareness for Hannah’s Treasure Chest and their mission,” said Dayton Mall Marketing Director Dave Casper. “It’s all part of our Magical Season of giving, where almost every weekend we have an event in support of a charitable organization.”

Contact this columnist  at (937) 748-3487 or PamDillon@woh.rr.com.

HEREABOUTS pamela dillon

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