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| Paola responds to challenge, but need is still growing |
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| Opinion | |||
| Written by Brian McCauley | |||
| Wednesday, 02 December 2009 08:00 | |||
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The Paola community certainly has stepped up its assistance to families in need this holiday season, but some of the hardest times for local families still lie ahead. The Paola Association for Church Action announced earlier this fall that its food pantry at My Father’s House was dangerously low and its need was growing every day. The community was asked to help, and it responded in a big way. In a recent e-mail, PACA president Jim Hopwood said the pantry is overflowing, thanks to recent donations from schools, churches and individuals. “The shelves are stocked, and the closets are full,” he wrote. “It’s only a temporary situation, to be sure. Some of the food will be given away as part of Operation Holiday. Some will go out as it normally does to needy families. But for the moment, we are actually out of storage space!” Dick Gilman told Hopwood that Sunflower and Cottonwood elementary schools and Paola High School, along with First Lutheran Church and First Presbyterian Church, brought in more than 6 tons of food. Local volunteers also recently helped deliver Harvesters Thanksgiving meal baskets at Cross Point Assembly of God for Miami County families in need. Still, the Christmas shopping season has only just begun, and for many local families, this is a desperate time of trying to figure out how they can afford Christmas for their children. Once again, the local community has the ability to help by using the Miami County Sheriff’s Office’s Angel Tree, which allows local residents to adopt local children in need and to purchase Christmas gifts for them. Let’s make sure every angel gets adopted this year, as there’s bound to be a large number of families in need due to the economy. The Paola community has stepped up big time, but there’s still work to be done.
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