Sunday, January 17, 2021 - Christmas Basket Success

We have another Christmas Basket success story to share, in spite of the challenges faced by our annual project in the face of the pandemic.

YOU are the reason that everything went so well, even though we were not able to hand out HEB bags and collect food, even though you could not do your usual shopping for the needy families we serve, even though we could not gather and wrap gifts and fill boxes with food and presents in the days prior to delivery, even though delivery day was rainy, masked and socially-distanced.

We THANK YOU for donations that enabled us to sponsor 132 neighbors at the Housing Authority project we serve all year long. Four volunteers, Nancy Jones, Sarah Frankenfeld, Susan Shaw and Marianne Bolduc, along with several resident leaders, braved the rain and handed out gift bags to all of the building, one floor and one person at a time. Nancy reported on that experience last week.

We THANK YOU for sponsoring whole families and individuals with gift cards to cover toys and HEB cards to cover food. Thanks also for stocking stuffers and face masks. Our Christmas delivery may not have been as glamorous as usual, but it still allowed fam-
ilies to provide excitement for their children by purchasing their own gifts for them.

Seventy-three households and 321 individuals, whose names were put forth by Gabriel Project, St. Vincent de Paul, and Thursday Outreach all benefited from your generosity.
St. Austin’s School deserves special mention for their donations of stocking stuffers and the proceeds from their annual Penny Wars collection! We appreciate you!

Thanks to Russ Oliver for faithfully making maps for us and to Gary Huffman, Paul Lewis and the “Bolduc Boys” for helping load cars and direct traffic on delivery day. Forgive me if I have left anyone out.

The Christmas Basket Elves, 

Huddie, Jennifer and Lisa