Project Share Spreads Holiday Cheer to Johnston Families

At one time, families in need didn't exist in affluent, growing suburbs like Johnston.

With the economic recovery still anemic, the Community Education Program works year-round to help the increasing number of families who need food and clothing.

Requests for assistance have more than doubled in Johnston in the last decade, mirroring a statewide increase shown through a hike of roughly 54,000 students who receive free or reduced lunches at school.

Project Share aims to ensure a bright holiday for every family in the Johnston school district. The holiday giving program works with the district's food and nutrition services department to provide holiday gifts for families, said Nancy Buryanek, Johnston Community Education director.

"I believe that Johnston has become much more diverse and one way that it has become more diverse is economically, so this is an example of how the community can share." 

At the beginning of each school year, Johnston families who complete a free or reduced lunch form are asked if they would like to take part in Project Share. Each year those numbers increase. This year the district serves 995 students in the free or reduced lunch program.

"People have moved into the district that have more needs," Buryanek said. "Since 2008, we've seen an increase of people that have had financial struggles."

For the 2010-11 school year 189,645 students statewide were eligible for the free or reduced lunch program, according to the Iowa Department of Education.

During the 2000-01 school year, 131,577 students participated in the program statewide.

The Project Share program, which began in 1994, served 51 families in 2000.
Last year, it provided gifts for 121 families in the Johnston school district, which totaled 320 children.

"(Project Share) has grown tremendously over the last several years," said Willona Goers, Johnston Public Library director. "It's also a wonderful way for the community to help and to participate in the holiday spirit of giving."

Over the years, Goers has seen the community change.

"I believe that Johnston has become much more diverse and one way that it has become more diverse is economically, so this is an example of how the community can share."

Another program that helps children around the holidays, Toys For Tots, has seen a decrease in donations.

In 2010, the program received more then $238 million nationally in support and revenue, down slightly from 2009, when it received more than $244 million in support and revenue, according to the programs annual report.

Johnston Support is Strong

The support for Project Share hasn't dropped off, Buryanek said.

"We've never not been able to meet the needs of those that have been a part of the project," she said.

Families who chose to participate in the program are sent a letter of information asking for gender of children, age and a desired gift.

The information is then transferred to a number system, where the children of a family are assigned a number.

The information, gender, age and suggested gift are then stuck to the back of a Twinkle Card.

The cards are then distributed for community pick-up at:

    Johnston Community Education office
   
   
   
    Any Johnston school office

Residents, Businesses Help Out

For 10 years, Val and Ken Bilbrey have supported the Project Share program.

"I think we've always chosen about 10 cards," Val Bilbrey said of her annual participation. "We haven't really changed our donation, but I think things are tougher now than when the program started."

Bilbrey, who owns in Johnston, said she makes cards available to her employees.

"My children graduated from Johnston, and I've always felt very fortunate that their Christmases have been full and fun," she said. "There are other children in the community that aren't as fortunate, and I feel sorry for the parents if they aren't able to give their children something they'd like to have for Christmas."

The project has even grown in the Bilbrey family.

"My daughter, Kasi Koehler, also participates," she said. "She has little children that go to school in Johnston, they get involved, too. She tries to have the boys help pick out the gift."

At the library, Goers said, staff members look forward to Project Share each year.

"I'm always impressed with the number of staff that grab a card and do it as part of their regular gift giving."

The library easily gives out 40 to 50 cards each year to patrons who want to donate to the effort.

"Normally, the Community Education Program will give us a batch and if we run out they will bring us some more. Nearly every year we run out," she said.

A donation can be anything from clothes to a toy, but organizers ask that a gift not be more than $25.

Project Share also accepts monetary donations. The money is used to purchase gifts for cards that were not picked by someone.

After a Twinkle Card is chosen and a gift is purchased, donors can drop the gift off at the location they picked up the card, any Johnston school office or the Community Education offices.

The gift must be dropped off unwrapped with the Twinkle Card attached by Dec. 7.

The next step is sorting the gifts.

The system is set up in a way to assure privacy. While it may look complicated to an outsider, Buryanek said to the council and volunteers it's become second nature.

"They just go through it," she said. "They have numbers that coincide with each family, so when they sort gifts they can see if a card is missing."

"Many of the people have been doing it for a number of years," she said. "We all pitch in and know what to do. It's quite an efficient process."

The volunteers also look forward to sorting.

"It's a great sense of community," said Goers. "So we all pitch right in and know what to do. We have pizza and Christmas music, it's a real festive time."