Sheriff's Relief Fund gears up to help others

The Sheriff’s Relief Fund crew has hit the ground running and this year. Deputies and volunteers are working harder than ever to help families and children in the Sanders County community this holiday season.

The tree of hearts represents all the children in the community who need a little extra love this Christmas. Wooden trees are placed in local businesses throughout the county and on those trees, you will find red and green hearts hanging from the branches. Written on each heart, is the age and gender of a child. Red hearts represent girls ages 1-18 and green hearts represent boys ages 1-18. The Christmas gifts should correspond with the age and gender for each heart chosen. You can wrap the gift yourself but volunteers ask that you attach the hearts to each gift you give.

Every year, the work continues by not only providing Christmas gifts but a turkey dinner to Sanders County families as well. “Last year was a good year for us,” said Theresa Milner, head coordinator for the Sheriff’s Relief Fund. “We raised more than $13,000.” Milner said with the help of donations, the Sheriff’s Relief Fund provided gifts to 363 children and a turkey dinner to 133 families.

Milner said all the tree of hearts went out to local businesses last week. “Deputies were delivering the trees Monday through Wednesday,” she mentioned. The trees that have been distributed will be picked by December 19.

Trees can be found at Buck’s Grocery in Hot Springs and the senior center in Dixon. In Plains you can find trees at Mountain West Clothing, Gambles, Plains Drug Store, Mangy Moose and Two Feathers Salon. In Thompson Falls, you can find trees at First Security Bank, Valley Bank, Empire Builders, Doug’s True Value, and Mangy Moose. In Trout Creek, trees can be found at The Local Store and in Noxon, trees can be found at the Angry Beaver.

Cash donations for the Sheriff’s Relief Fund Christmas gifts and turkey dinner can be taken to the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office in Thompson Falls or to First Security Bank in Plains and Thompson Falls.

If you are in need of a little extra help this Christmas, or you know of a family in need, you can sign up to receive a food basket that will be delivered along with the children’s Christmas gifts on December 21.

Posters and forms to sign up for a food basket will be at the following locations: Buck’s Grocery in Hot Springs, the senior center in Dixon, Plains City Hall, Harvest Foods in Thompson Falls, the Sanders County Courthouse and Sanders County Sheriff’s Office in Thompson Falls, The Local Store in Trout Creek and the Angry Beaver in Noxon. Sign-up forms will be picked up by December 19.

On December 21, Sheriff Tom Rummel will be driving to Harvest Foods in the morning and delivering all the food for the volunteers to assemble the baskets in the basement of Valley Bank in Thompson Falls.

“I’m always looking for volunteers,” Milner said. “The more I can get, the better. I can always use help delivering as well.” Milner also mentioned the Clark Fork Valley Elks will be lending a helping hand with operations this year, as she is hoping she can look to them for help with the Sheriff’s Relief Fund in the future.

To volunteer or for more information, contact Milner at (406) 827-6951.