11/1/2012 - West Side Leader
     

SOUTH AKRON — Summit County Children Services (SCCS) once again is calling upon the generosity of county residents to make the season come alive for the children in its care.

According to SCCS officials, tax dollars may not be used for certain expenses, and community donations are needed for the following programs:

• The Holiday Toy Room — The Holiday Toy Room is a place where foster parents, kinship caregivers and client families “shop” for toys and gifts to give to their children. No money is exchanged, and everything is available at no cost to eligible agency client families, thanks to the generosity of the community, according to SCCS officials.

Donations of toys and gifts for all ages of children (especially teen boys) and/or financial contributions to purchase toys are needed. Donations of gloves and mittens also are requested. Donations may be made directly to SCCS, 264 S. Arlington St. It is requested that donations be delivered by Nov. 16, if possible. Last year, more than 1,100 children in agency care received gifts through this program.

• Adopt-a-Family — Those who prefer to select a specific gift for an individual child may choose to help with the Adopt-a-Family program. Agency social workers recommend individual children for this program, and each child provides a wish list of a few items. Donors purchase and wrap the gifts and deliver them to the agency, then social workers deliver the gifts personally to the children’s homes.

Donors may “adopt” one or more individual children through this program. Gifts for this program must be delivered to SCCS by Dec. 7. Last year, more than 300 individual children were “adopted” by donors and received holiday gifts.

• Food Gift Card Program — Gift cards in increments of $20 or $25 to local grocery stores, such as Save-A-Lot and ALDI, are provided to families in need during the holidays. This program helps ensure that children and their families have food during the holidays, according to SCCS officials.

Those interested may either donate the gift cards or the money to purchase them. It is requested that contributions for this program be sent or delivered to SCCS by Nov. 16. Last year, more than 50 families in need received grocery store gift cards for family holiday meals.

Any donations may be dropped off or mailed to SCCS, 264 S. Arlington St., from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. For specific information on these holiday programs, contact Patricia Roy at 330-379-2055 or proy@summitkids.org. For general information about all of these programs, or to make monetary donations online, log on to www.summitkids.org and click on the “Donor/Volunteer Opportunities” tab and go to “Holidays.”

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