22—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, 22, 1973
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Lancaster Countians Show T
By Sally Bair
Feature Writer
The true Christinas spirit is
alive and well in Lancaster
County, and because of it some
900 children will have a brighter,
happier Christmas holiday.
The beneficiaries of the
generosity of the Lancaster
community are the children of
families involved in the Ex
panded Nutrition - Education
Program conducted by the Penn
State Cooperative Extension
Service. •
On Thursday evening these
children, ages 3-15, gathered at
the Edward Hand elementary
school to watch movies, sing
traditional carols and enjoy a
hearty Santa who helped
distribute gifts.
They were obviously thrilled
and delighted as they got a head
start on celebrating Christmas
which would have been very
meager for them had it not been
for the giving spirit of others.
A party was given Wednesday
in. the Columbia area, and
although the one scheduled for
the Quarryville “area was can
celled due to the snow the toys
are being distributed.
According to Tillie Gibson,
extension nutrition aide super
visor, the idea of hosting these
children at a Christmas party
was conceived last year at
Christmas by the aides who work
directly with low-income families
in the county. They realized that
many children m their program
families had not been reached by
existing programs such as Toys
for Tots. Since there is no
money in the ENEP budget to
allow for Christmas parties, the
aides were told that the only way
it would be possible would be to
“getWnatiorisrAncTger donations
they did!
The actual work for the party
began in October with aides
Ponnie Patterson and Gladys
Brubaker spearheading the ef
fort They contacted local
businesses, banks and candy
manufacturers and came up with
enough gifts and stocking stuf
fers to make this Christmas a
very happy one for the children.
Even fabric stores were able to
get in on the act - they con
tributed the fabric necessary to
make all those stockings! A
group of Mennonite women
contributed the time necessary to
sew 115 of the stockings, and the
aides sewed the remainder and
stuffed them all with loving care
Farm Women Societies con-
tributed a lion’s share by
donating mittens and money to
purchase mittens for the
children
Mayor Thomas Monaghan
contributed $lOO to the fund, but
even better than that, he showed
his deep concern and interest by
attending the party Thursday.
Getting the donations of
money, merchandise, candy and
oranges took quite a lot of shoe
leather and time, but that was
only the beginning. Since the
party was “by invitation only”
for children of over 500 program
families, the aidesknew just who
' would'be there and wfiaC their
wants and needs might be. Just
imagine the logistics of deciding
who gets which doll or truck for
900 children! To make sure there
would be no disappointed
children the aides made lists and
checked them twice - and
sometimes three times.
Stuffing ’stockings for that
many children is no small matter
either. Toys, coloring books,
candy and oranges were all
carefully divided among those
attending. The aides spent a day
filling those stockings.
And'what kind of Christmas
party would it have been without
Christmas cookies? The aides
baked and baked, and one aide
baked 500 cookies herself! They
ended up with a “table full” of
cookies. Most of the work for the
party was done on their own time,
Mrs. Gibson points out.
The delighted children were not
the only ones who benefited from
the party. Mrs. Gibson said,
“Lancaster County really went
all out. It was a total county ef
fort, and the total county will
benefit. These kids would have
gotten very little for Christmas.
Many are really in need.”
Nutrition Assistant Lynda
Lueck said, “This is a first and
we hope it will set the scene for an
annual affair of this kind. The
program we offer for the kids is
mostly in the summer so this
brings them together for an event
in the winter.” She added, “It
gives us a chance to reach kids in
It’s getting nearer to that
magic day - Christmas. The
cards have been mailed, the
many kinds of cookies baked, the
gifts gaily wrapped and the tree
decorated.
Now we need a family
gathering to make all of our ef
forts worthwhile. We expect to
have everyone here this season,
including Nancy who plans to fly
from Seattle, Wash. Maybe we’ll
have snow for her as that is an
unusual occurance on the coast.
XXX
We have an added attraction in
our home this wintertide. Since
we had a damper installed in our
chimney, we look forward to
many a cozy evening in front of
our old corner fireplace. The
brass andirons are in place and
we have a small pile of ap-
the outlying regions of ti
county, since city kids ai
usually' covered - through - dtht
programs at Christmas.”
“The cooperation has beei
really magnificent,” she sai
citing the contributions of thi
business community and Farm
Women Societies which made the
party possible.
The 14 aides who developed ai
carried out the party plans ai
Miriam Beiler, Judith Hessei
Dorothy S, Kreider, Glenn Feitt
Susan Jane Work, Sarah Ann
Laing, Bonnie Rudisill, Romaine
Morrow, Myrna Cosme, Irf
Navarro, Gladys Brubakei
Maria Piece, Bernice Wrighl
and Ponnie Patterson. Horn*
Economist Doris Thomas
coordinated the efforts along with
Mrs. Gibson and Miss Lueck.
The aides were on hand
Thursday evening to keep things
moving smoothly, but handing
out gifts to that many children
requires a lot of helpers for
Santa. So leaders and members
of the Good Use 4-H Club pitched
in to see that each child was
taken care of, and parents and
homemakers assisted where
needed.
Seeing the shining faces of
children and the satisfied look of
fulfulled adults makes you feel
that through this effort the ex
tension nutrition aides showed
that there is plenty of that good
old fashioned Christmas spirit
still in the hearts of Lancaster
Cduntians.
Merry Christmas!
-:Ss
Ida Risser
plewood cut.
Sitting by the fire with its
flickering shadows causes one to
remember Abraham Lincoln and
how he read his books by its dim
light. But the day after, when I
sweep up the cinders and ashes,
then I think of Cinderella, the
household drudge. Really though,
I do enjoy the smell of wood
smoke and the comfortable glow
of a well-laid fire.
XXX
Music can certainly set the
mood. It’s nice to
Christmas letters while listening
to carols on the stereo. Recently,
we heard of chorus of over 80
voices present Handel’s Messiah
in our High School. It was a
tremendous performance.
I imagine some people would
be shocked to hear 0. Henry, the
Nutrition aides Judy Hessen (I) and
Romaine Morrow (center) work with Tillle
Gibson to fill some of the hundreds of
stockings needed for their Christmas
party.
I Farm Women I
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Societies
Society 3
Members and Farm
Women Society 3 were en
tertained at the Christmas party
held December 15 at the
Fellowship Hall of Swamp UCC.
Mrs, Harold E. Stuber was
hostess.
Mrs. Clarence Stauffer was in
charge of the business
after which Mrs. Harold Fry
gave a report on the services
- available—from- the-Epbrata
Public Library’. Mrs. Fry also
furnished entertainment with a
“Story Time”. She is a librarian
in the Ephrata Area School
Santa Claus visited and gave
each child a gift. There was also a
gift exchange among the
members, with a social hour and
refreshments.
Delegates to the Farm Women
Society State Convention at the
Harrisburg Forum on January 7
and 8 are Mrs. Jesse Balmer,
Mrs. Walter Shaub and Mrs,
Harold E. Stuber.
Mrs. Earl Miller, Mrs. Harvey
Gehman, and Mrs. Clarence
Stauffer will visit the group’s
adopted patients at the Hamburg
State Hospital for Christmas.
Beginning with the first'
meeting in 1974, all meetings will
begin at 1:30 p.m. instead of 2:00.
Members will serve at the
snack bar in the Ephrata Com
munity Hospital December 28.
In cooperation with Society 2, a
visit will be made to Conestoga
View with a treat and en
tertainment for the guests.
famous author, say “not being
afflicted with a taste for music, I
let the system of noises drift past
my ears,” Thank goodness not
everyone feels that way. '
Society 14
Farm Women Society 14
members and husbands enjoyed
their Christmas banquet held
December s at Harvest Drive
Restaurant.
Howard Combs led the singing
of Christmas carols. The
program for the evening was
Mrs. Whilfield, her son Jeffrey
and two other members from the
Youth for Christ group, singing
carols.
Mittens were” donateJ fbr llie
Welsh Mt. exchange program,
and there was an exchange'' of
Christmas gifts. . -
On January 3 Society 14 will
sew at the Lancaster General
Hospital from l()f a.m. - 2 p.m.
Delegates for the Farm
Women’s State Convention in
Harrisburg will be Mrs. James
Hall, Mrs. John Groff and Mrs.
Everett Newswanger.
The next meeting will be held
January 16 at the home of Mrs.
Leon Thomas, 217 Willow Street
Pike, with sewing from 10 to 2.
Farm Women
Calendar
Tuesday, December 25
Merry Christmas
Thursday, December 27
1 p.m. - Farm Women Society 24
bowling party, Blue Ball
Lanes.
Friday, December 28
Farm Women Society 3 to serve
at the Snack Bar, Ephrata
Community Hospital.
Saturday, December 29
1:30 p.m. - Farm Women Socrety
5 Christmas party.
Farm Women Society 4 meeting
at the home of Mrs. Mary
Greider, covered dish lun
cheon and Christmas party.
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