As it has for the last 30-plus years, the tight-knit community of Columbia will come together to lend a hand to those in need this Christmas season. The annual Christmas Food Box Delivery will take place on Sunday, Dec. 22, thanks to the organizers - Columbia Lions Club and Sunsnappers, along with area businesses and organizations, and the hundreds of volunteers that make this day of giving possible.
Each year, members of the fraternal organizations join together, along with numerous community volunteers, to pack hundreds of boxes with holiday dinner items and additional grocery staples. Each box contains a turkey, eggs, bread, milk, canned vegetables, cereals, and more. Families with children from newborn to age 10 who are not receiving Toys for Tots donations will also receive toys along with the food boxes.
This year, approximately 700 boxes will be packed and delivered to families in Columbia and the surrounding area (ZIP codes 17512, 17547, 17368, 17554, 17582, 17575, and 17538). Families in Columbia and the surrounding area may register to receive a food box by emailing ColumbiaChristmasFoodBoxes@gmail.com or calling 717-715-3592. Families may also register in person on Fridays, Oct. 25 and Nov. 22, at Fresh Express at Park Elementary School, 520 S. Sixth St., Columbia, or on Saturdays, Nov. 2 and 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hands Across the Street, 291 S. Fourth St., Columbia. Email or in-person registration is encouraged for those who are able, in order to ensure accurate delivery information. The deadline to register is Friday, Nov. 29. Early registration is encouraged.
In lieu of a food box, the organizations will provide a hearty Christmas dinner to the residents of area senior facilities - Trinity House, St. Peters Apartments, Our Home of Hope, Marietta Senior Apartments, Brereton Manor, and Sylvan Retreat - on Sunday, Dec. 29. The meals will be prepared by members of Foresters of America and delivered by the members of the Columbia Lions Club and Sunsnappers and other community volunteers. Sign-up sheets will be posted in these facilities in early November, so that residents may sign up to receive the Christmas meal.
Organizers would like to extend a thank you to Musser's Markets for its years of support for these efforts. With the loss of this support due to the store's closing, organizers are asking any business, organization, or individual wishing to support the community to call 717-715-3592 or email ColumbiaChristmasFoodBoxes@gmail.com.
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