Christmas preparations are in full swing at the Christian Service Center (CSC) where the Christmas Cheer toy distribution program is steadily taking in more registered families.

With only a few weeks left of the program, CSC volunteer Mary Lee Harms said as of Nov. 13 there were 134 families registered with a total of 402 children.

A press release sent out by the CSC earlier this month said last year a total of 238 families with 661 children were served through the program, which benefits children in low-income families living in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan.

"We're a bit ahead of usual, but it's hard to tell," Harms said. "Generally, families are in a more difficult situation with the temporary loss of SNAP benefits, the usual loss of jobs because of the season, food prices, rent, etc. We have distributed over 2,000 angels to our churches, restaurants, businesses, civic groups and individuals at over 40 different locations."

Angels, paper cutouts that list gift requests for children registered for Christmas Cheer, have slightly increased this year compared to previous years, and four new locations are displaying Christmas trees with angels.

The next few weeks will be "busy, very busy" for the CSC as more families sign up, more angels are made and toys are collected in early December for distribution. Toys are to be gathered at Toyland, a room donated by The Island Church where volunteers can package collected toys and prepare them for delivery.

"Both our intake and Toyland volunteers will be working with little rest until the toys are distributed in mid-December," Harms said.

She said Christmas Cheer volunteers have enjoyed helping families to feel comfortable and cared for this holiday season.

Interviews for parents to register for the program are set to continue every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the CSC, located at 317 Dolphin Ave. Interviews will be held weekly until Dec. 11, but the center is closed this week for Thanksgiving. The CSC recommends earlier registration to ensure children get gift items they request.

Harms said the Christmas Cheer program is the highlight of the year for CSC.
"Interacting with so many caring and loving parents is a good feeling," she said. "Every year, we volunteers all end up exhausted but feel so blessed we were part of helping so many adults help their very deserving kids feel joy and happiness at Christmas. The reward is more than I'm able to articulate."

For those interested in volunteering for the CSC's Christmas Cheer or other programs, Harms recommends visiting the CSC between 9 a.m. and noon, Monday through Friday, to check out opportunities and fill out a volunteer application.

As previously reported by GCM, Harms has volunteered at the CSC for about 15 years and has been with the Christmas Cheer program for 12.

"We are an all-volunteer 501(c)3 emergency aid organization," she was previously quoted as saying. "Guided by Christian principles, it delivers services to people in need. We provide a 'hand-up' rather than a 'hand-out' service for our community. We don't discriminate against any religion, race, etc. in our programs."