Help Spread Holiday Spirit By Sharing With Those In Need

The Catholic Charities Community Thanksgiving Dinner is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday Nov. 25, at the Catholic Family Center, located at 225 E. Arizona St. For more information, please call Nancy Barela at 524-9720.

The Bread of Life Mission is hosting its annual Thanksgiving Dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27. The meal is provided to anyone in the community who cannot afford a meal for the holiday, or who would like to share the holiday with others. To donate food for the dinner or to volunteer to serve the meal, contact Mission Director Cherise Merrick at 524-3874.

The Holbrook Elks Lodge will host its annual Lunch With Santa Claus at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the lodge, located at 714 Elkdom Ave. The event is open to the public, and goody bags and stuffed animals will be given to the children attending. Donations of new or gently used stuffed animals can be made at the lodge from 2 to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, until Dec. 12.

The lodge is also hosting Christmas Day dinner for individuals who may be alone and in need of a meal for the holiday. Arrangements can be made to have a meal delivered by calling the lodge at 524-6789. Donations of turkeys, potatoes, stuffing or cash may be made to help with this effort.

The Holbrook Senior Citizens Center will be filling boxes of food for the needy that will be distributed on Saturday, Dec. 20, in time for the Christmas holiday. Please contribute non-perishable holiday food items to the center, located at 216 E. Joy Nevin Ave., prior to that date. The center is also in need of volunteers to help sort and pack boxes on Dec. 20. For more information on how you can help, contact Center Director Carla Gabaldon at 524-6044.

A Coats for Christmas Drive is now underway at Shumway Insurance. They are accepting new and gently used coats and jackets that will be distributed to those in need. The items can be brought to their office at 538 W. Hopi Drive from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. There will also be drop boxes at the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on Nov. 24, the Festival of Trees Dec. 4-6 and the Festival of Lights on Dec. 6. For more information, call 524-0522.

The Holbrook Police Department is also hosting a food drive, with donation boxes available at Safeway, Alco, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of the West, Dollar General, City of Holbrook offices and Northland Pioneer College. Donations will also be taken at the Hummer, which will be parked at Safeway from 4 to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and 12. The food gathered by the department will go to Catholic Charities.

Winslow

The Winslow Elks Lodge is hosting its annual Elks Christmas Basket and Clothe A Child. The Elks are accepting donations of toys, non-perishable holiday food items, and frozen turkeys or chickens that will be put together in baskets for needy Winslow families who have submitted vouchers available through the lodge. Members of the lodge fill the baskets with donated items and age appropriate toys, then deliver them to the families. The final date to donate for this cause is Dec. 18.

The Elks Lodge is also accepting cash donations for its Clothe A Child program. Each year the schools provide the names of children in need to the lodge, and the members take each child to Walmart to purchase $100 worth of much needed clothing. Last year the lodge provided clothing for 30 children; this year the goal is to serve 50. Cash donations for this cause will be accepted until Dec. 10.

Cash donations can be mailed to the lodge at 315 W. Third Street, Winslow, Ariz. 86047 or dropped off at that address along with other donations between the hours of 2 and 10 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A coat drive is also underway at Leapin’ Lizards Pre-School, located at 209 E. Third St. New and gently used jackets and coats may be dropped off at the school between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. until Dec. 5.