Oak Ridge Today

Angel Tree recipients visit Clinton police

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Angel Tree at Clinton Police

Angel Tree recipients at Clinton Police Department. (Submitted photos)

 

Six area children will have a little bit brighter Christmas this year, thanks to the efforts of Clinton Police Department officers.

On Tuesday, the kids, ranging in age from two to 12 years, went to the Police Department, where Santa had left several large bags of toys. Officers were there to help them unwrap a big assortment of games, dolls, videos, and more, a press release said.

Patrolman Anthony Godwin obtained the names of the children from the Clinton City Schools Angel Tree, then asked his fellow officers to donate. Godwin says the response was great. Nearly $800 was collected to purchase gifts. [Read more…]

Key Club, Kiwanis members, friends help with toy project at Holiday Bureau

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CHS and ORHS Key Club at Holiday Bureau

Clinton and Oak Ridge High School Key Club Members helped move toys at the Holiday Bureau on December 9. (Submitted photos)

 

Key Club and Kiwanis members and friends helped with a Toy Moving Project at the Holiday Bureau on December 9, a press release said.

The Key Club members were from Clinton and Oak Ridge high schools. They joined members and friends of Oak Ridge Kiwanis. Toys were moved from storage areas, and related tasks were completed such as filling grab bags with small gifts, the press release said.

Toys and gifts were selected by family representatives for their children and youth beginning Thursday, December 11. Toy selection followed clothing and food voucher distributions to families who registered with The Holiday Bureau at 728-B Emory Valley Rd in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Toys For Tots can be dropped off at AC Detention Facility through Dec. 15

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Toys for Tots

The staff at the Anderson County Detention Facility has volunteered to let the facility be used as a Toys For Tots drop-off center for Christmas 2014.

Gifts for children that are new or unopened will be accepted in the drop-off box located in the Detention Facility lobby at 308 Public Safety Lane in Clinton. The box will be available to the public from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day until Monday, December 15.

Toys For Tots is an official activity of the United States Marine Corps and a mission of the Marine Corps Reserve, a press release said. First founded in 1947, the U.S. Marine Corps adopted Toys For Tots and expanded it into a nationwide community action project.

Now an international project, in 2012 Toys For Tots distributed almost 17 million toys to more than seven million children across the world, the release said. [Read more…]

Letter: Thanks for Christmas gifts for children through courthouse Angel Tree

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To the Editor:

Employees of Anderson County government, as well as many local families and citizens, recently provided Christmas gifts to 34 children in Anderson County Schools through the Courthouse employees’ Angel Tree. It was truly a team effort, from our Maintenance Department helping to erect the tree and haul the gifts, to Mayor Terry Frank having the office serve as headquarters to organize the generosity, to David Crowley helping to deliver the gifts.

I am humbled by the generosity of the local community and the employees in making sure the children had a wonderful Christmas this year. And, I was endlessly blessed to see the precious smiles from youngsters and see the tears and hear words of thankfulness from their mothers, grandmothers, and fathers while delivering the Christmas gifts late last week. It was equally moving to see the smiles on the faces of those employees and citizens who contributed as they brought gifts to the Mayor’s Office. Each person gave so willingly while knowing very little about the child—beyond his or her first name and age—for whom they had purchased gifts. [Read more…]

Youth Board buys Christmas gifts through Mission of Hope

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Youth Advisory Board and Mission of Hope

Pictured above from left to right are Abby Douglas, Lara de Almedia, Ellie Brown, Wes Robinson, Koren Foglesanger, Jared Galloway, Candace Pang, Shichen Zhang, Ricky Goyette, Peter Magill, Laura Skipper, Shelby Chambers, Curtis Rookard, Lauren Collier, Megan Peters, Caroline Bradshaw, Lewis Wang, Ashley Riedy, Shane Harris, and Esten Dunn. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board members recently agreed to spend time and money Christmas shopping at Kmart for area children through Mission of Hope.

The board raises funds at events throughout the year to make this possible and spent $1,639.78 on gifts, a press release said.

The YAB would like to encourage other student groups and families to consider holiday projects that help those in need, while also reminding everyone to shop in Oak Ridge this holiday season, the press release said.

For more information about the Youth Advisory Board, visit www.orrecparks.com or contact Matt Reedy at (865) 425-3442.

Y-12 employees help make holiday merrier for many

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Bicycles from Y-12 Workers

Bicycles and helmets provided by Y-12 workers await distribution to area charitable agencies. (Submitted photo)

Nearly 50 workers at the Y-12 National Security Complex served as Santa’s elves in the Y-12 Employees’ Society’s 2012 Angel Tree program. The society collaborates with various charitable agencies to help provide holiday gifts for families deemed eligible for assistance by their county’s Department of Human Services.

The elves, working with donations provided by hundreds of Y-12 co-workers, did the additional footwork needed to fulfill the holiday gift wishes of 497 children in Anderson, Roane, Morgan, Loudon, Scott, and Monroe counties. Coordinated this year by Y-12 employee Jessica Smith, the program is now in its seventh year.

[Read more…]

UT-Battelle Angel Tree delivers clothing, gifts for children in need

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Heather Terry and Angel Tree Gifts

Team UT-Battelle volunteer Heather Terry sorts Angel Tree gifts donated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory employees. (Submitted photos)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Team UT-Battelle Angel Tree effort delivered clothing and gifts to area community agencies and schools this week. The items will brighten the holiday season for 240 needy children.

The gifts range from bikes to toys to clothes. Employees can also make monetary donations. In fact, members of the Atomic Labor and Trades Council, the laboratory bargaining unit, contributed $500.

The laboratory’s Angel Tree is electronic: Lab staff members can access a web page that offers anonymous selections of children from surrounding counties including Anderson, Roane, Loudon, Morgan, Union, Blount, Campbell and Knox. The donor can then donate a gift based on the child’s age, gender, size and interests provided by the website. As in past years, all 240 of the tree’s virtual “ornaments” were selected.

[Read more…]