Skip to content

Time to pack up: Chimes volunteers to sort food, toys

Time to pack up: Chimes volunteers to sort food, toys
By CHRIS MENEES
Staff Reporter
It’s time to send Chimes for Charity packing — and sorting and delivering.
Only four days remain until the Christmas Eve delivery of food baskets to less fortunate families and individuals across Obion County.
Before then, however, Chimes is in need of two things: Additional donations to reach this year’s $55,000 goal and volunteers to help with food baskets.
Chimes secretary Regina Hendon said the program currently has about $42,700 — leaving a shortfall of about $12,300.
This year’s goal of $55,000 is an increase of $5,000 over last year’s goal, and every penny collected will be used to help those in need.
Mrs. Hendon encouraged people who made pledges during Chimes’ recent telethon to honor them by sending in their contributions as soon as possible, and she said it is not too late for anyone to make a donation.
“We still have a lot of people with pledges out, so we would ask that they keep sending them in,” she said. “For anyone who hasn’t made a donation yet, it’s not too late to make one.”
Donations may be sent to Chimes for Charity, P.O. Box 661, Union City, TN 38281.
Chimes for Charity is in its 78th year of providing food, clothing and toys to less fortunate families around Obion County at Christmas. It is sponsored by the Union City Jaycees and J’Cettes and is generously supported by community contributions.
Chimes already spent over $35,000 last month on shopping tours which provided new winter clothing and toys for about 375 less fortunate elementary school and Head Start children countywide. Food was recently ordered for 275 food baskets to be delivered to families and individuals in need on Christmas Eve morning.
Many people in the community have supported Chimes by donating non-perishable food or toys at various drop-off locations around the county. Members of the Jaycees will be making the rounds Friday to pick up items donated at those collection points.
Chimes has also received its portion of food and toys collected during the recent Santa’s Village holiday event at the University of Tennessee at Martin’s ag pavilion.
Volunteers will be needed Saturday, Sunday and Monday for activities related to the Christmas Eve food basket delivery, according to Mrs. Hendon.
Sorting of various items for the food baskets will begin 1 p.m. Saturday at the Obion County bus garage in Troy, followed by basket packing Sunday starting at 1 p.m. at the bus garage.
Food basket delivery will begin early Monday, with routes and other pertinent information for volunteers to be available at Sunday afternoon’s packing event. There are about 28 delivery routes this year.
“We can get people connected with someone at packing if they want to help deliver,” Mrs. Hendon said.
She also noted there will be two buses leaving from the parking lot of Second Baptist Church in Union City at 8 a.m. Monday for anyone who wishes to participate in that delivery effort.
For more information about volunteering or making a donation, call the Chimes office at 885-2098 or email chimesforcharity@yahoo.com.
Published in The Messenger 12.20.12