Gram Lorraine Project matching shoppers with children in need this holiday season
Story Created:
Nov 16, 2009 at 3:52 PM EST
Story Updated:
Nov 16, 2009 at 6:17 PM EST
HERKIMER, N.Y. (WKTV) - As the holiday season fast approaches, many people will be hitting the stores to shop for loved ones.
But just as many will be hitting those stores to help people they've never even met.
Many of those recipients are children in Herkimer County, who might not otherwise be able to receive a happy holiday. They will, thanks to the efforts of the Herkimer County Hunger Coalition and the Gram Lorraine Project.
For the past several years, the project has matched up children in the Herkimer County area with sponsors who shop for articles of clothing and toys, specifically targeted for that child.
The program receives the name of each child from teachers, principals, and others in the valley's various school systems - including Little Falls, Poland, Owen D. Young, Frankfort, Ilion, Mt. Markham, Mohawk, BOCES Event Start and Migrant Worker Program, and a group of people at HARC.
Starting out small, the Gram Lorraine Project has, over the years, gone on to reach well over a thousand students in the Herkimer County region. The program has also, by organizers' estimates, poured more than $1 million into the local economy - as most of the sponsors buy their holiday gifts locally.
And even though the economy may be causing struggles for everyone this holiday season, organizers say it hasn't gotten in the way of people's generous spirit.
"We thought it would...but the sponsors do keep coming," said Kay Lenarcic of the Gram Lorraine Christmas Project. "They keep coming, so we're doing well. But, we always need new sponsors because we always get more names."
The one thing that organizers say the Gram Lorraine Christmas Project can always use is more generous sponsors willing to shop for a child.
If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, or just donating money, you can write to the Herkimer County Hunger Coalition at:
HCHC
PO Box 622
Herkimer, NY 13350
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