Volunteers brighten holidays for families

Each year, Sanders County Coalition for Families (SCCFF) asks volunteers to help make Christmas special for Sanders County families in need. And each year, the communities of Sanders County step up.

Crystal Buchanan with SCCFF said Sunday that the Adopt-A-Family program would not be a success if it wasn't for everyone involved. Buchanan and volunteers, including students from Explorations in Trout Creek, met at SCCFF in Thompson Falls on Sunday to wrap the presents collected for families. More than a dozen families received assistance through SCCFF's programs this year.

Buchanan noted that this year, there were more volunteers than families, so each family got extra holiday goodies. Each family provides a list of wants and needs for each child. Groups or individuals will sponsor a family. Along with what is gathered in presents for the family, SCCFF also provides each family with a food basket. The industrial arts class at Thompson Falls High School, under the direction of teacher Mike Bruse, builds wooden crates in which SCCFF places the food items for each family.

Student council adviser Roseanne Lundberg said that this is the second year the high school students have helped with food and crates. She said the students held a snowball dance last Friday, and all of the money went to the SCCFF effort. "I was able to go Sunday and get $160 of food to go in those boxes," Lundberg said. The students brought in food items to donate as well throughout last week.

Lundberg said the students really enjoy decorating the boxes, and Buchanan said the families will end up using them for books or toys.

This year, Buchanan said that MT West Dentist in Plains donated toothpaste and toothbrushes to put in the stockings of each of the 45 children helped with the Adopt-A-Family program. Buchanan said that because of the number of people who wanted to help this year, additional stocking stuffers were added for the kids. She said that area churches and groups including the Woman's Club and Clark Fork Valley Elks help with needs of families, including one group who took on the task of gathering items appropriate for infants to have in their stockings. With all the help, Buchanan said it shows that the volunteers are enjoying the program, too.

Volunteers spent much of Sunday wrapping each family's gifts. Buchanan was thankful for the help, and said she would have probably been there for three days wrapping presents if it weren't for the volunteers. Students from Explorations have been helping with the program for all of the 9 years that Buchanan has been involved.

"This is one of my favorite parts, working with the community," Buchanan said.