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Christmas Story for 2024 the year of “Doing More”

This year’s Christmas story is about the Grace of our God.  For the 3^rd year Helping Hands is running the “Toys From The Heart” program. We have been collecting toys for several weeks and have about 250 as of today.  Today another 150 were delivered with more coming.  Helping Hands and the local children will be blessed one more time.

As in years past, Helping Hands delivers those toys to a pantry on the south side of Perris and the remaining go to a pantry on the north side of Perris.  In making arrangements for deliveries, we were told by the leader in the south pantry that her church was not happy we were working on Saturday and refused the toys.  The north pantry informed us the same day that they received a truck load of toys and would not need ours.  What a strange turn of events.

Thinking through the situation and praying about it, our leaders decided to contact a lady we have worked with in the past.  She has a passion for helping others in one of the communities of Lake Elsinore.  Years ago, Helping Hands helped this lady with food and a housing voucher as she was homeless.  Today, she is a well-known advocate for a local low-income area elementary school that has 650 students.  We texted her a note about toys and she called instantly.  She told us that she was just going to call us as her toy drive had fizzled and many kids will go without.

Well guess what, with the assistance of a special lady, many of those kids will show up at this Saturday’s Helping Hands packing event.  Helping Hands will have cookies, doughnuts, hot cocoa and a visit with Santa Clause and the Grinch.  We expect that every child will also receive a toy.  Our God is so good.

Helping Hands is crafting a better Christmas for children in our Neighborhoods.  Toys From the Heart, is a program that enables you to teach your child or grandchild to care for children less fortunate than they are. Have them pick a toy they have enjoyed, clean it up and replace the batteries if necessary.  They can donate it to Helping Hands to be distributed to low-income children in our neighborhoods.

Drop the toy off at the Collection Station in the parking lot at Canyon Lake Community Church or at Pack Wrap and Post in the Canyon Lake Town Center.  They can also join us for pack day in Lake Elsinore.  It’s the second Saturday in December (12/14/2024) from 8:00 am till 10:00 am.  Santa Clause will be there with hot cocoa, cookies and coffee for adults.  It’s a celebration of Giving From The Heart.