Christmas Stockings

Each year we make Christmas  stockings and donate them to the River Oak Center for Children.  This  year we gave them 260 Christmas stockings.

The River Oak Center is a four site, 1000+ client mental health provider for low-income  children.  At their two-day Santa’s workshop, organized by volunteers, parents and caregivers are invited to come in and select a  stocking (made by Pioneer members)  and a gift for  each of their children.  As toy donations come in they separate the  smaller stocking stuffer items and ask the parents to select a small  gift from that table to help them start their stockings.  When parents  come in they are welcomed with punch and cookies and they start by  selecting stockings; then go into the toy room to select  gifts; then have them gift wrapped by volunteers. For many of their  clients, this will be the sum of their Christmas. 

We are told that the Pioneer Guild’s  support has brought many smiles through the years and every stocking is  very much appreciated. 

If anyone is interested in volunteering, they can call member Alice Gentry  at home (she's in the roster).