Classified Sign In
Operation Christmas foundering now as requests flood in
Dec 10, 2009 | 2348 views | 3 
| 33 
| 
| 
| 33 | |
Tooele County Relief Services volunteers Natalie Trujillo (left) and Debbie Cordova (right) bundle and count toys for the Operation Christmas program Thursday morning. Operation Christmas is about three-fourths short of the toys they need for the amount of families that applied for assistance this year.
- photography / Maegan Burr
- photography / Maegan Burr
The non-profit program, which provides food and gifts to needy families over the holidays, is coming up short in the face of a record number of requests for aid this year, according to Karen Kuipers, Tooele County Relief Services coordinator. As of the Dec. 4 deadline for requests, 345 families had asked to be enrolled in the program, compared to 145 families last year,
“These numbers do not include families being helped by the Children’s Justice Center and other groups we have been working with to eliminate duplication of services,” Kuipers said. “Donations and sponsors continue to come in daily but we have no guarantee that all the families that have applied for help will be able to receive assistance with toys for children.”
Currently, Operation Christmas has 64 sponsors for families. Each sponsor is assigned a family and provides a meal and gifts for that family’s children.
Families without sponsors will be given toys that either come from local Toys for Tots donations or are purchased with cash donations. Those families will also receive a Christmas food box from the Tooele County Food Bank.
While toys are in short supply, food donations should be sufficient, according to Tooele County Food Bank director Lori Sandoval.
Bolstered by an Alliance for Unity food drive conducted on Dec. 5 and individual donations, the food bank will be able to provide a Christmas meal to all those in need, Sandoval said.
“The immediate need right now is gifts for children,” Kuipers said.
Kuipers estimated that Operation Christmas may be short gifts for 591 children — 65 under 2; 434 ages 2 to 12; and 92 aged 13 to 17.
Toy donations may be dropped off at any Toys for Tots location in Tooele, including Family Dollar, Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree, Maurices, Alberstons, and Macey’s Food and Drug. They may also be brought to the county Community Resource Building at 38 S. Main Street in Tooele.
Tax deductible cash donations may be mailed to the Tooele Valley Community Cooperative, attention Cheryl Adams, at 47. S. Main Street, Tooele, Utah 84074. Please specify on the check that the gift is for Operation Christmas.
Families, individuals, businesses, church groups, or others wishing to sponsor a family can contact Megan at 435-843-4762.
“In the past, the community has been very generous and has always come through,” said Sandoval. “We are a little concerned both by the large need this year and the recession that has made it harder for people to take care of their own families, let alone make a donation to others. Some people that helped us in the past may be part of those in need this year.”
Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com
post a comment
comments (3)
« whathe*$#% wrote on Friday, Dec 11 at 07:39 PM »
No wonder no one post anything on here, its all censored!
« whathe*$#% wrote on Friday, Dec 11 at 07:38 PM »
They edited the post here is what they left out. Due to all he illigal's that come here and expect handouts, we are having a hard time keeping our supply up because there is 10 to 15 of them in one house.
« Cadahudy wrote on Friday, Dec 11 at 10:10 AM »
I really hope that they can give all these children a christmas. But what about all the children of the families that Tooele County Relief Services turned away? After my husband got laid off, we have tried our hardest to make ends meet and not rely on services like this because there are families that needed it more at that time, however in November went it starting getting cold and our heat got turned off. I called the Tooele County Relief Services and told them my situation and also told them about my 8 month old son. They lady basically laughed in our face and said they couldn't help us. So know here we are in December is this -1 degree weather with no heat or hot water, it is so cold in our house the tempature doesnt even register on the thermostat. When I got home the other day it was so cold in the house my son's bottom lip was turing blue! He is now living with his grandmother so he can stay warm through the winter. So I hope the other children that don't get any help, have a family as gracious as mine, other wise my son would not be having a christmas, and at least he will be warm on christmas morning at his Grandma's house. So thanks for nothing Tooele County Relief Services.
Comments will be posted after review. Please allow up to 24 hours for comment approval.
Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the Tooele Transcript-Bulletin. Abusive comments and users are subject to rejection or removal without notification.
We will reject and remove comments that contain any of the following: Potentially libelous statements; personal attacks, insults or threats; profanity or obscene references; copyrighted articles or information used without permission; promotional messages of a commercial nature; links to other Web sites; comments unrelated to the topic of the article.
By posting a comment, you are agreeing to abide by these guidelines. Violation of these guidelines may result in a user being barred from posting on the Web site.