Friday, March 20, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
Spirit of Giving Alive in Geyserville
Each year at the Geyserville Chamber dinner members are fed a wonderful dinner, for the past several years cooked by the Northern Sonoma County Locals Unlimited guys. They're the ones who bring the Tractor Parade to our town on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The money raised by the group helps them support the parade costs for next year's parade, which has become a favorite holiday event for Geyserville and surrounding communities.
Attendees at the chamber dinner also bring canned food, toys and other contributions for the Geyserville Christian Church Pastoral Fund, and pastor Hilary Marckx and his crew lead everyone in a rambunctious sing-a-long of holiday tunes that often gets everyone up to dance. I ran into Margie, a chamber member, at Safeway the day after this year's dinner.
"That was one of the most delicious dinner's ever. I will remember that party for a long time to come!" she told me. This event has become a favorite for many.
This year the hat was passed and Hilary collected over $1,300 from Chamber members for the Pastoral Fund. Our local Kiwanis guys also contribute to this fund, with the club matching the individual member donations. From those individuals and families, and the Geyserville Kiwanis Club, the pastoral fund collected approximately $7,000.
The Geyserville Fire department also collects toys for kids of all ages and drops them off at the church for distribution in their Christmas Eve giveaway. Hilary, and his wife Cherie, get assistance in finding out where the needs lie, then a group of volunteers descends on the church on Christmas Eve to package, wrap, translate, and distribute food and gifts to those families in need right here in our community.
The funds collected in December help to buy holiday meal staples, gifts, and provide much needed assistance to folks at Christmas and throughout the year. Pastor Hilary recently learned of a family facing the prospect of losing their home. The Pastoral Fund allowed Hilary to cover their rent for the month, as well as providing food and gifts for Christmas. These funds are needed for just that sort of emergency situation.
The contributions go a long way toward making the holidays a little brighter for local families that might not otherwise have a very joyful Christmas. This year 70 families representing over 350 individuals received food and gifts thanks to the efforts of so many in Geyserville. As Hilary shared on the church facebook page, "I do believe that the people of Geyserville have the biggest, most generous hearts in the world! Thank you, Geyserville!"
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