Christmas Clearing Council running out of time to help local children in need; especially one-child families

Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County (CCC) is hoping the community will step up in the next week to help them in their quest to provide Christmas gifts to children in need in Waukesha County. Because of how the holidays fall in this year’s calendar, the group has one less week to match needy families with community individuals and organizations willing to help provide a happier holiday for local children who would otherwise go without. This year there is a special need for sponsors for families with just one child.

CCC is continuing to take calls from families and organizations that are interested in personally sponsoring a family through Friday, December 6.  Sponsorship includes purchasing toys and/or clothing for each child in a family for a suggested amount of $60 per child.  Sponsors are given a family’s name and contact information to obtain information on the family’s needs and make arrangements to deliver the gifts to the family by December 11. 

 “With less time to recruit sponsors, we are asking for the community to step up and include CCC family sponsorship as part of their Christmas giving plans this year. This is the last week or so for sponsors to be matched with families and we want to get the word out. This year we have a number of families with only one child who are not yet sponsored. This would be a wonderful opportunity for people and families who have not sponsored through us before to experience how the personal giving portion of our program works or for those with limited time and resources,” said Ruth Page Jones, CCC’s executive director. 

“There is still time for families, businesses and organizations in the community to help us fulfill these children’s requests and call us to sponsor a family. The community has always generously supported our mission to bring smiles to children on Christmas morning. We hope, when they learn of this need, they will open their hearts and call to sponsor a family,” Jones added.

Those interested in sponsoring a family in need should call the CCC office by December 6 at 262-896-3390. CCC will accept calls Monday through Friday (closed for the Thanksgiving holiday) from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and Monday evenings from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

CCC is also asking people to consider donating new, unwrapped toys at one of the dozens of toy drop-off locations for those children for whom the group does not find sponsors. Toy donations will be accepted through December 12 at one of the many CCC toy drop-off locations throughout the county.  A complete list of toy drop-off locations can be found on CCC’s website, www.christmasclearingcouncil.org.

About Christmas Clearing Council

In existence for 64 years, the Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County is a nonprofit group that matches needy families with individuals and groups who want to help on a person-to-person basis during the holiday season. Families who are not matched with sponsors are invited to CCC's annual Toy Shop, stocked with donated items, to shop for their children. In 2012 more than 4,600 Waukesha County children from more than 2,000 families experienced the joy of the holiday season because of the efforts of CCC and its volunteers, donors and sponsors. CCC was awarded “Small Non-Profit of the Year” in 2011 by the Waukesha County Executive’s office. Those interested in sponsoring a family or learning more about CCC and ways to support its mission are encouraged to call 262-896-3390 or visit www.christmasclearingcouncil.org.  Look for CCC on Facebook and Twitter.