Several more sponsors are needed for an annual Christmas program that helps children whose families canтАЩt afford to provide gifts for the holiday. Jerry Dupree is again heading up the program, called Loving Forsyth Christmas Outreach. In previous years, Dupree said, the program has been sponsored through nonprofits such as The Place of Forsyth County, United Way and the Forsyth County Family YMCA. This year there is no title sponsor, but Dupree said the program remains the same in that it provides Christmas gifts solely to Forsyth County children in need.тАЬItтАЩs the same program that weтАЩve done in the past тАж IтАЩm just working with the schools and anybody in the county that I can to get the needs satisfied,тАЭ he said. The Forsyth County Fire Department is one organization that always helps, Dupree said.тАЬWe are working, as usual, in conjunction with AerialтАЩs House toy collection by the fire department, so the toys [people] drop off at the fire stations go to this in-county program,тАЭ he said. Through Loving Forsyth Christmas Outreach, sponsors volunteer to receive information about a child, such as their shoe and clothing sizes and a toy тАЬwish list.тАЭ They can then go out and shop for that child. Dupree said the suggested amount to be spent per child is $75 to $100.тАЬItтАЩs more of a basic needs program this year because we said kids need clothing more than they need anything else,тАЭ he said. тАЬSo we said a pair of sneakers, a pair of jeans, a shirt or blouse, under garments and socks, and then one age and gender appropriate item from that childтАЩs wish list.тАЭ The Aerial House donations are used to help satisfy needs of any children who go unsponsored and to provide some additional wish list items to those who are sponsored. Dupree said he worked with schools, churches, businesses and civic groups to find families in need and get them registered.тАЬIn total, weтАЩll have about 1,700 to 1,800 children that we provide gifts to this year,тАЭ he said. тАЬIn some years, itтАЩs been as many as 2,500 or 3,000. So this is still a huge number, but itтАЩs not as much as it has been in some years.тАЭ He said some children still need sponsors.тАЬRight now, we have about 275 children on the list that we donтАЩt have a sponsor for,тАЭ he said. тАЬWeтАЩre hoping to find sponsors for those children as soon as possible.тАЭ Dupree said anyone interested in becoming a sponsor should email him at LovingForsythChristmasOutreach@gmail.com with their name and contact information, as well as the number of children they would like to sponsor. He will then send information such as sizes and the childтАЩs wish list. Included will also be contact information for the childтАЩs family, so sponsors can contact them directly to set up a time and location to pick up the gifts.тАЬThat way, it takes me completely out of the process and itтАЩs easier for the families and sponsors,тАЭ he said.
Several more sponsors are needed for an annual Christmas program that helps children whose families canтАЩt afford to provide gifts for the holiday. Jerry Dupree is again heading up the program, called Loving Forsyth Christmas Outreach. In previous years, Dupree said, the program has been sponsored through nonprofits such as The Place of Forsyth County, United Way and the Forsyth County Family YMCA. This year there is no title sponsor, but Dupree said the program remains the same in that it provides Christmas gifts solely to Forsyth County children in need.тАЬItтАЩs the same program that weтАЩve done in the past тАж IтАЩm just working with the schools and anybody in the county that I can to get the needs satisfied,тАЭ he said. The Forsyth County Fire Department is one organization that always helps, Dupree said.тАЬWe are working, as usual, in conjunction with AerialтАЩs House toy collection by the fire department, so the toys [people] drop off at the fire stations go to this in-county program,тАЭ he said. Through Loving Forsyth Christmas Outreach, sponsors volunteer to receive information about a child, such as their shoe and clothing sizes and a toy тАЬwish list.тАЭ They can then go out and shop for that child. Dupree said the suggested amount to be spent per child is $75 to $100.тАЬItтАЩs more of a basic needs program this year because we said kids need clothing more than they need anything else,тАЭ he said. тАЬSo we said a pair of sneakers, a pair of jeans, a shirt or blouse, under garments and socks, and then one age and gender appropriate item from that childтАЩs wish list.тАЭ The Aerial House donations are used to help satisfy needs of any children who go unsponsored and to provide some additional wish list items to those who are sponsored. Dupree said he worked with schools, churches, businesses and civic groups to find families in need and get them registered.тАЬIn total, weтАЩll have about 1,700 to 1,800 children that we provide gifts to this year,тАЭ he said. тАЬIn some years, itтАЩs been as many as 2,500 or 3,000. So this is still a huge number, but itтАЩs not as much as it has been in some years.тАЭ He said some children still need sponsors.тАЬRight now, we have about 275 children on the list that we donтАЩt have a sponsor for,тАЭ he said. тАЬWeтАЩre hoping to find sponsors for those children as soon as possible.тАЭ Dupree said anyone interested in becoming a sponsor should email him at LovingForsythChristmasOutreach@gmail.com with their name and contact information, as well as the number of children they would like to sponsor. He will then send information such as sizes and the childтАЩs wish list. Included will also be contact information for the childтАЩs family, so sponsors can contact them directly to set up a time and location to pick up the gifts.тАЬThat way, it takes me completely out of the process and itтАЩs easier for the families and sponsors,тАЭ he said.
