Christmas is a season of giving and remembrance. While we may be worried about baking the perfect cookies, finding a gift for the sister who has everything, or the perfect new topper for the tree, some of our neighbors are just trying to make ends meet.
We need to be like “Good King Wenceslas” and help as we can.
Our local food pantries are really busy this time of year. As January approaches the shelves will get emptier and emptier, if we don’t keep them full. Since we seem to spend more time in the grocery than usual in December, this is a good opportunity to pick up items to share. It’s so simple to pick up some extra sale items.
According to Jerry Bennett at Enon Emergency Relief (EER), the pantry is much busier than usual with new people seeking assistance each month. Enon Emergency Relief also helps with utility bills, so a financial donation would be helpful to keep homes warm this winter.
EER is open every Monday afternoon from 2:30 to 5 p.m. To make arrangements for donation of food or money, call (937) 864-5555 and leave a message for a call back. Enon Relief is at 105 N. Scott Street, behind Dr. Schumann’s office and underneath the Enon water tower.
Park Layne Food Pantry in the Park Layne United Brethren Church, 1320 Styer Drive, is small but also needs food donations.
“It goes out as fast as it comes in,” said Ethel Blue.
She explained that the pantry needs easy-to-prepare foods like pasta mixes, tuna, rice mixes and soups. Fresh apples and oranges are always well received.
“It is not food, but we can use dish soap, toilet paper and bath soaps since they cannot buy these things with food stamps,” she said.
Hours are Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Those who wish to donate should call (937) 308-2115. Financial donations will also be accepted.
Bethel Churches United Pantry is always looking for help to keep the shelves stocked, according to Alberta Ellis. The number of those seeking help have increased. Located beside the First United Methodist Church on Main Street in New Carlisle, this pantry can also accept frozen items.
Ellis suggests dropping off grocery donations during the hour before they open to the public on Wednesday at 4 p.m. or Friday from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
Not all of our neighbors’ needs are met with a sack of groceries.
Christmas is a difficult season for many of us who are experiencing their first Christmas without a loved one. It is particularly difficult for those who lost someone recently or during the holidays last year. Let them know you remember and that you care.
A little box of homemade fudge, a poinsettia, a plate of cookies, an invitation for dinner, or an offer to drive them to church for services can make a huge difference in their lives. Think about it. Remember, the most important part of helping over the holidays is that your smiling face is at their door to say Merry Christmas.
Look at your neighbors and friends and be especially sensitive to their needs. Perhaps a person who is ill, or not as mobile as they once were, needs help with decorating or with Christmas shopping. A neighbor who recently lost a job might appreciate a small gift card to a grocery. It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be delivered with a smile.
Christmas can also be a difficult time for caregivers who have the added stress of the holiday season. Perhaps there is something you can do to help. Ask.
If you know a family who has a loved one deployed with the military, they might appreciate a card or even a note saying you sent a small donation to the USO in their name. Or you might get the service member’s address to send a Christmas card or a Happy New Year Card to them.
Just as in the carol, when good King Wenceslas asks his page who is struggling in the deep snow to follow in his footsteps, we can in our own ways follow in the footsteps of others who in the past have been generous over the holiday season. It is a good tradition to continue.
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