GIve-A-Kid-A-Book Delivery

Today was the goal date for getting our "Give a Kid a Book" donations over to the Spirit of Christmas Office.

I went and dropped them off and, let me tell you, it impressed me as much this year as it did last year. Piles and piles of clothes, games, puzzles, bikes, sleds, sleeping bags, snowshoes, and BOOKS. It's moving to see, really. One frazzled worker said to me as I left:

"In an economy this bad, the generosity is still OVERWHELMING.

It looked it. I was recruited to carry a bike inside before I could leave.

The Friends of the Chippewa falls Public Library donated 250 brand new books to the effort, with special thanks going to the new BAM! in Eau Claire and the book sale that took place in November at Memorial High School in Eau Claire.

Spirit of Christmas 2011

If you want to really do some good for an organization that serves literally thousands of needy people at holiday time, please consider giving to Spirit of Christmas of Chippewa County, Inc.

Last year the Friends of the Chippewa Falls Public Library collected books and money for the annual Give a Kid a Book drive and made sure that every package of gifts put together for the poorest children in the Chippewa Valley had a book in it.

I remember well some of the books I got for Christmas over the course of my childhood, some of which I still own and still occasionally read. But I digress.

If you haven't already identified a pet cause worthy of your Christmas charity spending, then please consider giving to the Spirit of Christmas of Chippewa County (hereafter SOC).

You can give in many different ways:

1. Gift Donations - Many people are cautious about donating cash...so SOC will accept toys, books, puzzles, games, craft items, blankets and bedding, winter hats/mittens, clothing and shoes. Unwrapped gifts are preferred! Your gifts can be dropped off a Central Lutheran Church, 28 East Columbia Street Monday--Friday 8am to 4pm.

2. Monetary Donations--Please make checks payable to:
Spirit of Christmas, PO Box 831, Chippewa falls, WI 54729

3. Gift Giving Trees--Businesses throughout the county display a tree decorated with tags that indicate commonly requested gifts. Staff and customers select tags and provide the gifts.

4. Sponsorship--Businesses or organizations may sponsor a family or families by providing gifts, non-perishable food items and/or monetary assistance.

5. Volunteers--The SOC needs help...our help! You can sit in on meetings of SOC at 6:30pm on the second Tuesday of each month here at the Chippewa Falls Public Library.

Give a Kid a Book

If you want to give a gift that has the potential to keep giving throughout a child's life, consider buying books geared at children from birth through roughly 8th grade and dropping them in the "Give a Kid a Book" gift drops that the library will be putting out some time around All Saints' Day. You can also give cash or checks written out to "Friends of the Chippewa Falls Public Library" with "GAKAB" or "Give a Kid a book" in the memo line.

For more information on SOC call the office at (715)726-0534 or President Cheryl Wirth at (715)271-0256.

Food for Fines Follow Through

"The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others."--Homer

Above you see just a portion of the food collected here at the library during the Food for Fines program in September. Just a while ago, I delivered said food to the Salvation Army Food Pantry at 521 N. Bridge Street here in Chippewa Falls. According to pantry coordinator Sally Hegg, the service sees about 30 people a day come through and it has been tough lately keeping food on the shelves.

Donations are always welcome, according to Ms. Hegg, and donations and contributions are tax deductible. The pantry's workers will be glad to give those who donate a receipt if they want one. Those who use the service must verify income & need. For more information, email Sally or call her at 715-726-9506 ext. 3.

The library will do Food for Fines again in the future and I urge you to watch this space for information on the upcoming "Give a Kid a Book" program, a coordinated effort of the Chippewa Falls Public Library, the Friends of the Chippewa Falls Public Library and The Spirit of Christmas of Chippewa County. During the Christmas season, we cooperate to include donated reading materials in gift packages put together for needy local families. The library will make donation boxes available for those patrons who want to make sure Santa includes a few new children's books under the tree.


For those who gave, THANK YOU! And we hope all our patrons continue to seek out opportunities to help local charities.