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Exeter 235-3368
Exeter Times Advocate
Wednesday, December 15, 1999
21
The Christmas Bureau: helping
families for over 40 years
The Exeter Lions were just one of -many organizations to donate to the Christmas
Bureau, which gave packages of food; clothes and toys to needy families this week-.
Pictured from left are Lions president John Hanson with a $2,000 cheque to the
Christmas bureau, Exeter Christmas Bureau organizer Audrey MacGregor and
Lions zone chairman Cliff Marsden. (photo/Scott Nixon)
Beth -Ann Hern, alp OAC student at South Huron District High Schdol, stands
among the 370 gifts students at the school donated towards the Christmas
Bureau. (photo/Scott Nixon)
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER— Christmas is in the air and
area residents have added to that feeling
by once again donating gifts and food to
the Huron County Christmas Bureau.
The bureau, with locations at the
Exeter United Church, Seaforth, Clinton,
Wingham and Goderich, began distribut-
ing goods to needy families this Monday
and will finish for the season on
Thursday. And according to the Exeter.
bureau's organizer Audrey MacGregor,
it's been another successful year.
MacGregor and about 20 volunteers at
the United Church have been busily
accepting and sorting the bureau dona-
tions and MacGregor said she's been
impressed with the enthusiasm people
bring to the effort.
While there is no goal each year for col-
lection, MacGregor said this year's cam-
paign has gone well and she expects over
100 families, including 237 children, will
receive assistance from the Exeter
branch. County -wide, over 1,000 chil-
dren benefitted from the . Huron County
Christmas Bureau last year. In addition
to serving families in Exeter, the Exeter
bureau helps families from Grand Bend,
Hensall, Zurich, Crediton, Centralia and
Kirkton-Woodham.
The Christmas Bureau in Exeter
changes locations every other year. As
this is the second year for the United
Church's involvement, the bureau will
move to a different church next year. As
MacGregor explains, volunteering for the
bureau is a learning process.
"The first year you learn, the next year
you try to do a better job," she says with
a smile.
And for MacGregor the hard work is
worth it.
"It's the most rewarding thing I've ever
done," she said, explaining that she first
worked with the bureau 10 years ago
when it was also at the United Church.
Among the many groups raising
money, food and gifts for the Christmas
Bureau is the Student Impact group at
South Huron District High School. While
there are only a few students in she
group this year, teacher and Student
Impact supervisor Dave MacLeod said
the group works on projects such as the
Christmas Bureau, the shoebox drive
which saw gifts and supplies sent to chil-
dren in Central America, and the 30 -
hour famine.
South Huron's participation in the
Christmas Bureau involves a week-long
campaign that wrapped up last Friday.
While donations were slow at first, stu-
dents rallied on the final day and ended
up donating 370 gifts and $30 in
Canadian Tire money, which the school
was to use to buy more gifts for the
bureau. The school's goal was for 400
gifts but Student Impact leader Beth -Ann
Hern said the shortfall may have been
due to the fact that the shoebox cam-
paign was just held last month.
Hern said the project is a good one for
students because it teaches them what "
Christmas is all about and shows them
there are people in. the community who
need help. MacLeod agrees, saying he
hopes students get the -message about
the importance of helping people. He
added that while many people may see
teenagers as self-centred, many students
are empathetic and want to help.
Hern, 18, said she got involved because
she wants to give back to the community
and she believes any good deeds you do
will come back to you eventually.
In order to persuade some students to
donate to the bureau, students were able
to get out of class early to watch a volley-
ball or hockey game in exchange for a
donation.
The Huron County Christmas Bureau is
organized by. the Children's Aid Society
of Huron County and is confidential.
MacGregor said families in need visit the
bureau for 15 minutes and choose from
the toys and clothes. They are also given
grocery bags stocked according to the
size of the family.
Hensall Public School collected gifts for the Huron County Christmas Bureau
through an Angel Tree projectWhen students brought in a gift, their -Same was
placed on the school's Christmas tree. Exeter Christmas Bureau co-chair Karen
Von Damm (left) and volunteer Casey Zeehuisen picked up the donations Friday
morning with the help of Mandy Mathonia, Danielle Ritchie, Katie Jinks and
Lindsay Allen. (photo/Fete Monk)