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Program to Again Spread Christmas Cheer to Hundreds of Omaha Students
Pssst...can you keep a holiday secret? The 250 students at Midtown Omaha's Jackson Elementary are going to have a very special visit just before Christmas break. Not Santa Claus, but close.
Once again this year, the Leavenworth Neighborhood Association and Camp Fire USA are teaming up for their Christmas Cheer project, a heartwarming dose of outreach that sends each Jackson student home with new books and school supplies, mittens, cereal and other goodies.
The Leavenworth Neighborhood Association launched the program 15 years ago, initially spreading Christmas Cheer on a smaller scale.
"One of the neighborhood people just saw a need," said Carol Haas, a Christmas Cheer coordinator and past president of the Leavenworth Neighborhood Association.
The project, at first, aided four or five less fortunate families each Christmas with donations of clothing, groceries and toys. It evolved from there.
"We were looking for a way to reach more families in the neighborhood," said Haas.
Enter Camp Fire USA and its community outreach coordinator Ann Lawless. She ran the after-school program at Jackson and attended neighborhood association meetings as a Camp Fire representative. She knew there was a need at Jackson.
"For some of the kids, this will be the only gift they get over the holidays. Unfortunately, many of the kids do not have books and school supplies at home, so the parents and teachers are also very excited and appreciative of this project," said Lawless.
2008 now marks the fifth year that Camp Fire and the Leavenworth Neighborhood Association have partnered to help Jackson students. Lawless and Haas head the program, which relies on monetary donations from neighborhood association members and local businesses. Lawless said one company in particular, T.L.K. Air Care, Inc., formerly Target Logistics, has given the effort a significant boost by giving Christmas Cheer volunteers free access to a warehouse full of thousands of overstocked books. And, its assistance has not stopped there.
"Last year, the company shrank wrapped the books on pallets and delivered them to the school for us," said Lawless.
Nebraska State Senator Gwen Howard also has a history of pitching in. Haas said Sen. Howard collects books throughout the year for the students, and often assists with the gift bag assembly. That typically takes place the day before Christmas break. Volunteers huddle in the school gymnasium, filling bags for each student. The bags, decorated with holiday flair by Camp Fire volunteers, are then delivered to the classrooms.
"Every though we've done it for several years, the kids still get a big thrill out of it," said Haas. "They know it's their bag and they are really excited."
Lawless said she is devoted to the program partly as a Camp Fire representative, but also as a neighbor eager to help hundreds of kids to a better Christmas. The rewards of involvement, she said, are many.
"Some of the teachers do not let the kids look through the bags until the end of the day. Working at Camp Fire, I was able to see the joy on the kids faces as they looked through their bags," said Lawless.
The more people on the gift bag "assembly line," the faster the process goes. In the past, UNO fraternity brothers and members of the South High dance team have volunteered their time. If you're interested in helping fill bags this year, contact Haas if you are interested in helping fill bags or making a monetary donation.