Christmas in Summertime program seeks help

FORUM FILE PHOTO
The Christmas in Summertime Back to School event is shown in 2018. The program’s organizers say it needs help to continue providing clothing to children in need.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — For nearly 35 years, the Christmas in Summertime program has provided Nodaway County youngsters with brand new outfits for school, and this year the program is seeking help with additional numbers.

The program was started by Dan Evans in the early 1990s, who was the First United Methodist Church minister at the time. He was inspired to begin the project because of his experiences growing up, LeDonna McIntosh told The Forum in an email.

“He did not have any new clothes for the start of the school year,” she wrote. “The embarrassment this caused stayed with him and he wanted to help children that were in need of that brand new outfit to start a new academic year.”

McIntosh began helping with the project in 1996. At the time, it was purely ecumenical, though as the need has continued to grow in recent years, the types of sponsors have grown, too, to include not just churches, but individual and local service organizations as well.

“Any offer to help is greatly appreciated, whether the desire is to sponsor one child or 10,” McIntosh said. “Funds are also helpful and can be used by volunteer shoppers.”

Working in tandem with Community Services, McIntosh said, K-12 students are identified through an application process. The applications are passed along to her to protect the information and identities. She then provides the required information to interested sponsors.

The outfits provided include a shirt, pants, socks, shoes and undergarments. The clothing is then gift-wrapped by sponsors and Community Services distributes them in August during its annual Back-to-School Fair.

Last year, the program provided clothing and shoes for 145 Nodaway County youths — an average number, according to Cathy Rybolt with Community Services. However, she said that McIntosh wasn’t able to secure enough funds or sponsors to buy clothing for the number of kids who were signed up last year, so preschool kids were not included.

Now that more school districts are offering preschool, Rybolt said McIntosh would like to include them this year even with the added numbers.

“I think it kind of lifts the burden off of the parents in a way,” Rybolt said. “If you have several children, shoes get really expensive. … Some of (the parents) just are overwhelmed with just everything that they get at the event and the generosity from the community. … They leave and their parents are in tears.”

Applications for parents with children in need of an outfit will be accepted through June 13 at Community Services. There is an income restriction and an application to fill out. Apply by clicking here and filling out the form or by calling the office at 660-582-3113.

To donate, call the office or drop off funds at 1212 S. Main St. To sponsor a student or students, contact McIntosh at 660-562-9629 or by email at [email protected].