PJs, warm clothes top wish lists for Christmas in 2009

DONATION: SPI’s Mark Lathrop hands ACCA manager Bill Thurman a check for $3,330.

Anderson-Cottonwood Christian Assistance (ACCA) provided 357 boxes of food for Christmas dinners to South County families, agency officials reported this week.

Similarly, Toys from the Heart also provided gifts to 670 children selected through ACCA.

Surprisingly, toys did not top the wish list as they have for many years.

Most families asked for pajamas, shoes, socks, pants and blankets, according to ACCA Client Services Director Barbara Thurman.

"Parents are filling out the wish lists, so we know the need is great," Toys from the Heart Chairwoman Lynn Gilliss said. "We tried to fill as many (requests for) clothes as we could, hopefully they're happy."

But children received more than clothes for Christmas. Every child gets at least two gifts, Gilliss said, adding that a family gift was occasionally provided.

The high demand for new clothing caught the charities off-guard, and so the supplies for next year's Christmas are already depleted, Gilliss said.

In response to the high demand for warm sleepwear, the ACCA and Toys from the Heart are holding a pajama drive from Jan. 12 through Feb. 12. Pajama sizes requested range from infants to adults, as older youths can wear the larger sizes.

The pajama drive held after Christmas helps shoppers take advantage of post-Christmas sales, Thurman said. To donate pajamas, bring them to Anderson Chamber of Commerce, 2375 North St., during business hours, or at ACCA, 2979 East Center St., on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On Dec. 29, the ACCA served 99 clients in one day, Thurman said while shopping for toothpaste, toilet paper and other hygiene items for the ACCA supply last week.

"We need to remember that all sorts of people are hungry, and that during these times of economic downturn, the problem is getting bigger," Thurman said. "You can't tell by looking that someone is hungry, but it's almost assured that on any given week you will cross paths with someone experiencing hunger. It could be a child, a supermarket cashier, or it could be the elderly woman at church.

"Without the generosity of the community many would not have had Thanksgiving or Christmas," Thurman said.

For information about the pajama drive, contact 604-3116.