Plans under way for Kids’ Christmas event, volunteers needed

submitted by Barry Allen, Lions Club

Kids Christmas has been a Manchester tradition for many years. Starting back with the Civic Club, then to the Kiwanis along with the Lions, it is now coordinated solely by the Manchester Lions Club in conjunction with Manchester Family Services. But the Lions Club needs volunteers from the community to help with the event.

On Saturday, December 14, we will meet at the Riverside School Cafeteria, where at 8:30am our families will arrive for the Kids Christmas shopping event. Family Services provides a list of eligible families and the kids and we will check them in, giving each child a ‘shopping pass’ which they will be able to use in selected Manchester businesses to purchase gifts for their siblings and parents.

Upon arrival, they will be assigned a seating area at one of the many tables, and provided breakfast treats and beverages. Adult sponsors will pair up with the individual children and prepare to take them shopping. As the kids shop, their transactions will be recorded by the merchant, then the Lions Club will stop by later and pay according to their shopper
number and the total cost.

Now they return to the Riverside cafeteria where they will wrap all the gifts they have found at the various businesses, and at 11am pizzas will arrive, donated by Ollie’s, and Santa arrives. Santa will draw the names of each participating child and they will get to select toys for themselves. Most of the toys are the result of the Manchester Fire Department’s Toy’s For Tots program, so please support them.

The event wraps up at about noon or shortly thereafter and the children take their Christmas presents home, and the volunteers clean up the cafeteria so they couldn’t even tell if we’d been  there. Special thanks to all of our volunteers and donations, especially Worth Repeating, the Manchester Fire Department, Masons and Lions, Ollie’s, and Manchester Family Services.

To volunteer, call/text to Barry Allen, 734-904-4694 or pdg.barryrallen@gmail.com We will also need volunteers for Friday afternoon about 4 pm for set up.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.