“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This biblical statement is found in one form or another in every virtually religion and culture. In our often cynical, greedy world, it is easy to forget the hungry, and to overlook people less fortunate. Jan DeFerbrache, executive director of Gaia Works, has devoted many years of her life to helping and giving. She has built a small army of volunteers who help collect, organize, transport, and support Gaia Works, an interdenominational nonprofit that believes that giving to others is what makes our communities better places.
Year round, Gaia Works provides food for several seniors and others in need throughout the community, help for veterans and needy youth. But the big push comes after Halloween, when everybody comes together to help those less fortunate have a happy holiday season. This year,
To kick off the giving season, Small Business Saturday, Nov. 24 at the Magic Candle will be devoted to collecting food and raising money for buying presents for kids. For every donation, receive a raffle ticket to win a special surprise. Hours will be 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the shop, located at 203 S. Audubon.
From now until mid-December, Jan and her “magic elves” will be busy collecting food for the pantry, plus assembling gifts for the families of Coburn Place. This year, they will be helping 26 boys (3 under a year, 7 who are 10 and older, and remainder 9 and under) and 16 girls (1 baby, 11 who are 10 and older, and the remainder under 10). Thirty five adult women also need gifts and stocking stuffer items.
It’s a tall order, and Jan and her elves are once again accepting help from everyone in the community. Kemba Credit Union is helping this year, with a Giving Tree and acting as a collection point for stocking stuffers, warm gloves, scarves and hats for homeless outreach, and much more. They are located at 444 S. Shortridge Rd. The Weekly View will also be a collection site for toys, canned goods, warm clothing for the homeless, and stocking stuffers for the children’s stockings at Coburn Place. Our office is located at 195 N. Shortridge Rd., Suite D. If you wish to take items directly to the source, Gaia Works is headquartered at The Magic Candle, 203 S. Audubon. The Irish Mutt, located on East 10th St. just before the Kroger, will also be collecting toys.
The priority list for the food pantry include: $10 (or more) gift cards to grocery stores for seniors to purchase fresh vegetables and meats, canned vegetables and fruit, canned meats (Vienna sausages, Spam, etc.), peanut butter, soup and crackers, microwaveable meals, and shelf-stable items that can be made into simple meals. Seniors also appreciate small canned hams which are perfect for holiday meals for one person. Jan said that she is also asking for small 1 lb. packages of frozen meat, hot dogs, and chicken which they can store in their small freezer (don’t bring them to our offices, as we don’t have a way to keep them). They also need new washcloths to distribute in homeless care packages, along with toiletries like trial size shampoos and body wash. For the family food baskets, they need dry pet foods for dogs or cats.
For the Christmas drive for the families at Coburn Place and other needy local families, we need new hats, scarves, and other warm weather items for kids, stocking stuffer small toys and puzzles for all ages and for boys and girls alike, candies, games, slippers, and coloring books.
Jan noted that she would like to be able to provide something special in the senior food bags that go out just before Christmas. She noted that seniors love chocolate covered cherries, hard candy mints, and nut-free chocolates of all kinds. Christmas candy is most appreciated.
The Monday before Christmas, bring scissors, wrapping paper, tape, and tags, etc. for the wrapping party on Dec. 17 all day at the Magic Candle.
For more information or to volunteer to help, call the Magic Candle at 317-357-1101.
