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St. C. churches band together to make Christmas brighter for needy

T-L Photo/SHELLEY HANSON ABOVE: AMBER BAKER, at right, of St. Clairsville and her daughter Dakota Baker, 1, pose with East Richland Christian School students and staff during the St. Clairsville Council of Churches’ annual Christmas distribution. From left are teacher Dawn George and students Hayden Scott, 12, and Noah Crumm, 14.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Amber Baker is thankful and grateful for the food and toys she received Friday during the St. Clairsville Council of Churches’ Christmas distribution event.

Baker attended the event with her 1-year-old daughter Dakota.

“It’s wonderful. If it wasn’t for them we would not have a Christmas for our kids,” Baker said. “It’s been a struggle paying bills and things.”

Baker said she receives food monthly from the St. Clairsville Food Pantry, which is a ministry of the churches as well. She said the pantry has been helpful and the people are nice, too.

“The food pantry is awesome. We’re very grateful and very thankful,” she said, adding that she also has two sons, James, 8, and Owen, 4.

The council of churches includes St. Mary’s Catholic, Friends Evangelical, First Presbyterian, Calvary Presbyterian, Christ the King Lutheran and Thoburn United Methodist. Students and staff from East Richland Christian School also were on hand to help carry items to recipients’ vehicles.

In addition to donations from the churches and community, handmade wooden toys made by prisoners from Belmont Correctional Institution were offered, too.

Council member Marie Crumbacher said the prisoners work on the toys year-round to get ready for the distribution. She noted that students from St. Mary Central School collected shoes for children that were distributed from the Coat Closet at the First Presbyterian Church as well.

East Richland Principal Melanie Saksa said she has volunteered with the event for the past 20 years.

“We’re blessed we can be a part of this ministry,” she said.

Nearly 150 families received food, toys and other household items, such as toiletries, a pillow, blanket and towel, during the distribution. Volunteer Polly Loy estimates the distribution has happened annually for the past 30 years. She said about 40 people volunteer and work hard to setup and organize the event. But in the end, it’s all worth it, she said.

“When people come through sometimes they become overwhelmed about how much they get to take home. Some of them have so little. We’re happy to make their Christmas a little brighter,” Loy said.

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