A whole community turned out to help neighbors in early December by responding with generous donations of food, gift cards, money, toys, and turkeys which were distributed through Cartons For Christmas to 140 families (517 people) along with 199 toys for young children.
We thank all individuals for their donations and participation, especially the folks who delivered the goods to waiting families. We owe a huge thank you to Lynn Phillips for coordinating all volunteer efforts.
We recognize those who contribute gift cards, toys, food and boxes: Tops Market, Colby Homestead Farms, Victory Packaging in Liverpool, Barton’s Parkside Hots and The Feltner Group, Spencerport Rotary, St John’s GIFT Program, Grant Wolfe (eggs), Lattimore Physical Therapy-Spencerport, Spencerport United Methodist Church, Ogden Baptist Church, our schools – Bernabi, Canal View, Taylor, Cosgrove and SHS Student Government (Nicole Arbore) and Spencerport Transportation.
Our financial backers include J. William Jewelers, Donald F. and Maxine B. Davison Foundation, St. John the Evangelist Church, Deacon Fund Ogden Baptist Church, First Congregational Church, Kiwanis Club of Spencerport, Spencerport Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Ferris Goodridge Unit No 330, Spencerport Firemen’s Benevolent Association Exempts, Spencerport Volunteer Firemen’s Association, Inc., St. John’s Men’s Club, Obatron Productions LLC, and Big M.
We welcomed new participants this year: HUNT Real Estate ERA an early food drop-off; D.A.R.E. (Jeremy Lindauer) for jumping into loading cars; and American Legion Ladies Auxiliary (Barb Marhatta) for food shopping, card writing, angel cutting, donating hats and scarves, and making calls.
Another great effort by our Toy Coordinator, Donna Granger, ensured that all young kids received a gift. We thank our Toy Tree sponsors Cathy Fowler (Fowler’s Canaltown Wine & Spirits), Ginny Swarthout (The Unique Shop), and Kate Czarnecki (Spencerport Federal Credit Union). We are so appreciative of the folks who selected the angels and bought and wrapped gifts for the children. Donna is grateful to her team – Mikayla Granger, Pam Cooper, Donna Perry, Denise Baker, Ginny Mosher, and the SHS Jazz Band (Jeannie Glozer) for their support.
We thank Scout Troop 165 for loading vehicles. For handling a large number of deliveries, we thank Spencerport Volunteer Fire Department Explorers (Chris Damon), Gates Volunteer Ambulance (Rich Verdouw), Josh and Wade Granger, and the Peasley clan.
We thank transporters of food, toys, boxes and shopping carts: Greg Dorgan, Bruce Kolb and Jim Downs, Erin Khuns, Jim and Joann Grassi, and Lynn Phillips. We depend on Helen and Rod Grigg, Danielle Phillips, Marcia Meyer, and Carol Oehlbeck for keeping deliveries on track. We appreciate the energy, thoughtfulness and inventiveness our committee employs to attack this effort each year. Thank you to Lynn Phillips, Jim and Joann Grassi, Danielle Phillips, and Donna Granger.
We wish to thank our sponsors, the Ecumenical Council of Churches: St John the Evangelist, First Congregational Church, Spencerport United Methodist Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, Ogden Baptist Church, Ogden Presbyterian Church, and Spencerport Wesleyan Church.
Maureen Granger
Cartons for Christmas
