Locals Pile On The Goodwill As Holiday Nears

    North Lake County residents have been busy in recent days spreading the holiday cheer to thousands of county residents of all ages. Toy giveaways to children, supply drives for seniors, free meals, and more have filled the local calendar as the community prepares for Christmas Day. Hundreds of donors and volunteers have combined to lift the holiday experience of thousands of Lake County residents, an annual show of goodwill that once again shows the area's large capacity for goodwill.
   Saturday was a highlight day, as at least three large holiday drives took center stage. Umatilla, Eustis, and Paisley all were home to special events that looked to provide gifts to residents of all ages who are in need this holiday. All three events marked the culmination of months of preparation and months of support from groups and individuals from all over Lake County.
   In Umatilla, the Adopt a Child or Two For Christmas campaign, 250 families and 766 children were gifted large bags of requested gifts. Supported by the First Baptist Church of Umatilla, area food pantries, Mount Dora lawn bowling, area bowling alleys, Sevice Trucking, Merrill Insurance, Mount Dora Bingo, and the Lake County Airboat Club, this program - operated annually since the 1980s, starts collecting items in the fall and has spent the last several weeks filling requests from a donated space provided by the First Baptist Church of Umatilla.
   "We've had tons of donations," said Jerry Sasser, a volunteer with the group. Sasser was among a large group of volunteers helping to distribute the bags from the Events Center of the First Baptist Church of Umatilla on Saturday morning.
   “We thank our church and our community.”
   In Eustis, a group of Santa’s Elves were busy in an upstairs storage room of Bay Pharmacy, packing bags of donated items to be distributed to seniors through the LovExtensions organization. Members of the Sorrento Renegades 4H group were on hand to assist pharmacy staff and LovExtenstion representatives in earmarking requested items for the organization’s 1,200 senior clients.
   "All of this is for their program," said Bay Pharmacy staff member Lori Blake while surveying the roomful of items. Blake coordinates this annual program with Linda Krupski of LovExtensions, which begins in the fall with a list of requests from seniors assisted by LovExtensions.
   "We have 1,200 clients," Krupski said, describing a program that works to supply low-income seniors with needed food and other items. "We do a wish list in July, but some don't return it."
   In past years, those people might not receive a gift for Christmas, but this year Blake said she is committed to making sure everyone gets something, even if it is simply a stuffed stocking full of goodies.
   “Everybody should get something.”
   Bay Pharmacy’s support of the effort has grown in recent years, providing a central location to house and organize items for delivery, with hopes of getting everything where it is heading by Christmas.
   A large group of area organizations have supported the effort this year, along with too many individuals to county, says Blake. But among the business and non-profit entities helping out are Home Instead, Precision Hearing, the Lake County Clerk’s office, First Baptist Church of Umatilla, Kings Ridge Quilters, Flourish First Umatilla, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lake County, Paws Therapy Dogs, Eustis Police Department and its dog Echo, Living Hope Church, as well as Bay and Lake Pharmacy.
   “We have grown so much,” Krupski said of her organization. “People are needing food, and more.” Krupski said ongoing lot rent increases at mobile home parks, food inflation, and other economic pressures are placing additional strain on low-income seniors, some who struggle to have enough food each month.
   “These increases, they aren’t in the budget of many seniors. Our seniors just can’t afford it.”
   In fact, crock pots have become a popular item this year, as LovExtensions has been working with seniors on how to cook meals safely without using stoves. Other items set to go out in the coming days are blankets, towels, clothing, and other home items.
   LovExtensions has been serving the community for over two decades and operates under a simple model of filling the needs of people. And during Christmas, that need can be felt even more acutely.
   “We really appreciate what Lori and the pharmacy is doing to support us,” Krupski said.
   Also on Saturday, an estimated 400 children were blessed by the annual toy giveaway in Paisley. Children and families gathered at the Paisley Park and dodged afternoon raindrops to enjoy a time of fellowship and holiday goodwill. Dozens of Christmas dinners were distributed, and some children received new shoes in addition to gifts for under the tree.
   Featured at the Paisley event was a table stacked with dozens, if not hundreds of stuffed animals. The Paisley community building was stuffed with games, toys, and even included a visit from Santa Claus, who was being guarded by elves who looked suspiciously like Star Wars stormtroopers.