RISON - While monetary donations to the Cleveland County Care Fund are up this year, so are the number of local children needing help this Christmas season.
Melinda McKnight, who spearheads the fundraising effort for the Care Fund, said the number of children needing help in Cleveland County this holiday season has swelled from 35 last year to 52 as of Monday - and it could still go higher. McKnight said they will continue to accept an additional children referred to the program through Christmas Eve.
Proceeds from the Care Fund help buy Christmas gifts and clothes for those local families in need. All recipients are referred to the fund by local school staff, churches or local agencies like the Cleveland County Department of Human Services.
McKnight said the reason the fund is used strictly on a referral basis is that schools, churches or local agencies have a better perspective on the families who actually need the help. She said the fund does take direct requests from families.
McKnight said the Care Fund shoppers are scheduled to hit the stores this weekend looking for those clothes and gifts for this year's referrals. However, she said there may not be as much money available for each child this year since there are more children in need.
She attributed the economy as being the cause behind a nearly 50 percent uptick in children being referred to the fund this year. She said inflation has taken its toil on even those households with two or more sources of income.
Whenever a child is referred to the Care Fund, McKnight said they check with that child's household to see if there may other children in that home who need help as well. She said the children they help range from newborns to 18 years old.
Whatever money is collected for the Care Fund is distributed among those in need. McKnight said that money is then used to buy an item on the child's Christmas wish list as well as clothing. She...
To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.