Green Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery is helping Creek County’s largest food pantry, Caring Community Friends, provide area families with a merry Christmas through CCF’s Christmas Stars program. This is the twentieth year Greenhill has conducted a toy drive, and the fifth year they have worked with CCF.
CCF’s Christmas Stars program places Christmas trees adorned with stars around the community. Each star lists the name, age, and details of a local child in need. Operations Manager Brenda Smith says that similar to “all programs, not every star is chosen, not every star is returned, and often there are last-minute needs” that were not recognized in time for the program. She says “there are always gaps to be filled” during the holiday season and that “Christmas is a lonely and heartbreaking time for parents and families that are struggling financially.” Green Hill tries “to help them fill in that gap” by collecting new, unwrapped toys and nonperishable food and money for toys and food during November and December so no child or family goes without.
“We let CCF use [our donations] for the children that did not get their star chosen or had a star chosen but it was never returned with gifts and for last-minute needs that come up just before Christmas. Many times some last-minute need will come up [for families] that means no money for Christmas,” says Smith.
Most donations they have received so far this year are from staff members, with a few from the community. Historically, their biggest day to receive donations is the day of their annual Living Tree Memorial Service, but because the event is virtual this year, they worry they will not receive the amount they typically do. And the need this year is expected to be larger than in years past. “How many people have gone without work or have families where one parent has to stay home or work less because of children who are distance learning?” asks Smith.
Smith says she and Green Hill recognize that “there are two populations of people that can make little change in their circumstances without some help…senior citizens and children.” Her biggest motivation to “find a way to give to children during the holidays” is how she believes “a child must feel when they return to school and hear what Santa brought their peers.” The friend gets a shiny new toy from Santa and “the child wonders why Santa doesn’t like them as much as someone else.”
Though the funeral home used to contribute to other local charities, Smith says that “as we did the toy drive over time, we came to realize that the Toys for Tots program, while a wonderful program, was not truly local. The donations do not stay in our community. We moved to the Salvation Army for a few years but as we became more aware of Caring Community Friends and the help that they gave within our community (including the surrounding towns of Creek County) we realized this was the perfect fit for us. We want to make a difference in OUR community. This is where we work and the community we serve, the community we ask to help us serve others who need a little help!”
Green Hill is collecting new, unwrapped toys and nonperishable food items (as well as the money to buy them, if you don’t want to brave the crowds yourself) for the next few weeks at their office at 400 East Teel in Sapulpa during business hours. You can also call and donate with a debit or credit card or send a check and they will send you a receipt. “Everything helps,” Smith emphasizes.
Please contact Brenda at 918-224-2312 or askgreenhill@yahoo.com with any questions. She says she would like to take gifts and food to CCF on December 7, but is happy to drop back by with late donations, too.
