The 2010 Christmas season is over and once again the Baldwinsville community has opened its heart to struggling families, elderly shut-ins and disabled living in the Baldwinsville School District.

This year, the Baldwinsville Christmas Bureau was able to provide holiday help to 149 families. Toys and a filled stocking were given to 204 children, 85 teens received gifts, 39 baby bags were filled with baby supplies and the 235 parents also received gifts, household and personal care supplies. Each family received a Christmas dinner plus several boxes of other food items, a family game and winter hats and gloves. We were also able to reach out to 133 elderly shut-ins and 20 residents in area group homes for the disabled. All together, the holidays were made a little brighter for 716 people.

We sincerely thank all of you – the individuals, families, businesses, service organizations, scout troops and churches who contributed so generously to make this all possible. Tremendous support was received from every school in the Baldwinsville School District with donations of canned goods, household gifts, books, hats and scarves, toys and loaves of bread baked by Durgee students.

We want to especially acknowledge support from:

The Baldwinsville Kiwanis Club who provided toys through “Trooper Toys for Tots” and transported them from Fredonia;

The groups “noXcuse” and “Company B” for the wonderful concert they put on to benefit Christmas Bureau and Word of Life Church for donating their auditorium for it;

The Baldwinsville Public Library for the use of their rooms for committee meetings and registration;

Anheuser-Busch and Abbott Farms for food;

All of the knitters, the “elves and Santa’s” who helped out wherever needed and of course, the many volunteers who staffed the drop-off desk and stocked the shelves with donated items;

Rite Aid, Walgreen’s, Riverside Gym, Curves, M&T Bank, Family Dollar Store, Astonishing Styles, Tracey’s Hair Illusions, Dollar General, Fireside Inn, Baldwinsville Public Library and the Radisson Community Center for providing room for donation boxes and giving trees;

and New Legacy, Kimbrook Manor, St. Mary’s, Conifer Village and Center Pointe Apartment complexes for collecting food.

Our appreciation also goes to Sal’s Pizzeria, Canal Walk Caf , Tassone’s and Subway for donating lunch to our busy workers on packing days. And finally, a special thank you to all of the members of our Christmas Bureau committee for the many, many hours they have contributed since September to make it all possible.

Thank you Baldwinsville for caring and sharing.

Jeanne Pray is the chairperson of the Baldwinsville Christmas Bureau. To contact her, call the Baldwinsville Volunteer Center at 638-0251.