The generosity of three churches, several local offices, a Girl Scout troop and individuals will make Christmas more robust for 59 Moniteau County families.
The Angel Tree program distributed bags of toys, clothes and gift cards this week to 59 families, equaling 161 children.
Members at the Annunciation Catholic Church fulfilled the wants and needs of 30 families, while the United Church of Christ took 10 and the United Church of Christ at Salem took five.
The remainder of the families and children were selected by community members from the tree in the lobby of Commerce Bank.
This year's program also benefited from a monetary donation from the Kiwanis Club, which helped supplement each child's bag, said Stefani Thompson, community services specialist for the Central Missouri Community Action, which organized the program this year.
In its third year organizing the long-standing community program, the community action group has found the program brings in new faces and helps build relationships with families who could benefit from the organization's year-round programs, Thompson said.
However, the organization will undergo significant changes at the end of January. At this point, Thompson said she was unsure whether their office would be able to continue to coordinate the Angel Tree program next year. Anyone interested in helping next year should contact its office.
The average child's bag includes a complete winter set of coat, hat and gloves; plus socks, underwear and an outfit, as well as two to three toys, some coming from the Moniteau County Toys For Tots. Then, each family received a food gift card, with a bonus from the local Cal's Thriftway and C&R Market.
For the second year, the local Eagles Club donated 12 refurbished bicycles, to fulfill child requests.
"You get a good feeling, being able to help these families," Thompson said. "And, to see how much people give, it's great to see a community come together and help out families."