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Santa needs more help, agencies say

Michelle Henry picks out Christmas gifts for her children Wednesday Dec. 16, 2009, at St. Raphael in Hamilton. St. Raphael helps out during the holidays by providing toys for needy families in their Santa Shoppe.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Michelle Henry picks out Christmas gifts for her children Wednesday Dec. 16, 2009, at St. Raphael in Hamilton. St. Raphael helps out during the holidays by providing toys for needy families in their Santa Shoppe.

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Staff photo by Nick Daggy Robert and Sally Frazier pick out Christmas gifts for their children Wednesday Dec. 16, at St. Raphael in Hamilton.

Sponsors needed to buy toys for children

By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer Updated 9:44 AM Friday, December 18, 2009

HAMILTON — Butler County social services agencies fear about 1,500 children will have to go without toys for Christmas.

This year, more than 2,175 children have sought help for Christmas from the Butler County Holiday Community Project, a group of nonprofit agencies that rely on sponsors to help provide food and toys to struggling families.

But with Christmas just a week away, 1,448 children still need sponsors, and agencies fear they will have to turn needy families away.

Maurice Maxwell, executive director of Family Services of Middletown, said his agency is still seeking sponsors after 300 families registered for assistance in two days.

“We’re trying to find as many as possible to sponsors children,” Maxwell said. “This year has been a tougher year. But I can’t think of a year where we haven’t struggled. But people in the community have always stepped up at the last minute.”

Amid the recession, 2,594 families registered for help during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Many more would have registered, but officials created an early deadline this year, fearing a lack of sponsors, said Tina Osso, coordinator of the holiday community project.

Osso, who is executive director of the Shared Harvest Foodbank, pleaded for people who can afford to give to sponsor needy families.

“If we don’t help them then there’s no alternative for them. Their children will wake up Christmas morning and it will be just like every other day of living in poverty.”

Daren’nesha Ross, 30, of Hamilton is thankful she received help from the Salvation Army.

The single mother of three, who earns $674 a month and has bills of more than $700 a month, said her children will get bikes, coats and other items for Christmas this year because of the program.

“I was surprised when they said they could help me, because they said it wasn’t guaranteed,” Ross said.

“I usually have been able to get them something from Family Dollar. But this year, I don’t have any money to spend on them. My kids wouldn’t have had a Christmas without their help.”

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