Making a happier Christmas

A man in his 20s stood in the Salvation Army Service Center Friday, carrying a plastic bag full of Christmas gifts for his 4-year-old daughter.

The gifts were courtesy of the Salvation Army and the many Havre community residents who provided donations.

"This means a lot to me," he said, choking with emotion. "My 4-year-old wouldn't have a Christmas without this.

"I'm on a fixed income," he said. "I'm raising my daughter alone.

"My furnace broke a couple of nights ago," he said.

Without the Salvation Army help, his daughter wouldn't have much of a Christmas, he said.

Distribution Day

Friday was "Distribution Day," a busy time at The Salvation Army.

More than 100 parents would stop at the front desk, pick up their certification, get some of the free candy the Salvation Army had left over and pick some rolls of Christmas wrapping paper.

"One roll for every two children," yelled out Tina Crawford, director of the Havre Salvation Army Service Center. "Wish we could give you a roll for each child," she said smiling. "But we'd be broke."

The lines of people laughed with Crawford. No one wanted the Salvation Army broke.

People were given a certificate they could take to the Havre Food Bank, where they would get a free Christmas dinner.

Then, the plastic bag full of toys and clothes designed especially for that family were brought from the upstairs storage room.

Smiling, sometimes teary-eyed, parents took the bags and headed to North Havre to pick up food for a Christmas dinner from the food bank.

"We really appreciate this," said one single mother of three.

With her part-time salary, said one parent, sshe could get through the month, but there was nothing left over for Christmas gifts .

"The kids wouldn't have a Christmas without this," she said.

By the end of the day, nearly all of the bags had been picked up by parents and sometimes grandparents.

Many mothers came for the gifts, but there was increasing number of single dads and traditional families.

"We're seeing a lot more two-parent families," Crawford said.

"That says to me that they are unemployed," she said.

Preparing for the big day

When the day ended, things went off without a hitch, though earlier in the day, the volunteers were sure something would go awry.

Plastic bags full of clothes and toys for nearly 300 children were on shelves in the upstairs room.

They were all set and ready to go, but a couple of days ago, someone walked in with a substantial donation.

The goal was to have three toys and a full set of clothes for everyone, Crawford said. All the toys were in, but not all the clothes. With the last-minute donation, many more clothes, including some winter caps, were purchased.

That meant some last-minute scurrying, but no one minded.

The bags of gifts were volunteered by people who had taken a card from the Giving Trees that were situated in three major shopping centers in the area.

People picked a card off the tree. The card listed the age and clothes size of the young person.

People bought the gifts and returned them to the Salvation Army.

Fortunate to have such a great community

"We are really blessed to have such a caring community," said Brenda Neiffer, a Salvation Army caseworker who was helping with the distribution.

"It's just awesome how much the community helps out," Crawford added.

Crawford said it is important for people to realize who is served by the Christmas Giving Tree program.

"The real down-and-outers don't take part in this program," she said, adding that the homeless may participate in other Salvation Army programs.

But the parents coming in for gifts for their children are usually those who are scraping by most of the year, living paycheck to paycheck.

But at Christmas time, the bills mount, especially with higher heating costs.

They just don't have the money for added Christmas expenses, she said.

Larger families helped

Many of those being helped have two or three children, she said.

But there are families with more than 10 children who are getting assistance, Crawford said.

Larger families are often put up for "adoption," she said.

A group from Montana State University-Northern had adopted a large family and purchased all the toys and clothes, she said. Because of confidentiality rules, she's not allowed to name the group, though she wishes the community would know how generous they are.

Credit goes to God

Salvation Army members are proud that they get their strength from God.

On the wall is a sign giving thanks for God.

In the background, a Christian radio station plays Christmas hymns. Many of the people waiting in line sing along.

Crawford wears a sweatshirt that reads "Jesus, the reason for the season."

Crawford said a lot of people thank her for the work she does and the services she provides.

But the thanks shouldn't go to her, she said.

"The Salvation Army and God should get the credit," she said. "I'm just the mouthpiece."

The power of discernment

Crawford said God has blessed her with the power of discernment. She is generally able to tell who is genuinely needy and who is taking advantage of the system.

She said she feared one of the people picking up gifts was going to sell them for drugs.

That is terribly unfair to the people who donate and especially for the many others who truly deserve the public's help.

Those who take advantage of the system will be helped once, she said, "but not twice."

In the end, she said, they will have to answer to God.

Both sides of the counter

Jamie Henderson has been on both sides of the counter on Distribution Day.

In past years, she was in need of help. She relied on the Salvation Army to provide gifts and the food bank to help with Christmas dinner.

"It was great being able to come here," she said.

This year, she is on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a public assistance program.

She's working as a volunteer this year, helping people she waited with in line last year.

Working behind the counter, she said, has had the opportunity to see the impact the gifts have on families. It also helps her see how generous the community is to donate money, toys and clothes to the project.

Youth help out

Young people volunteered to help out during the distribution.

They were put to work running up and down the stairs delivering gifts to the parents, said Crawford, laughing. "They still have the energy."

Brooke Nicholson, a Chinook High School student, was supposed to be going to the movies with classmates to celebrate the end of the semester.

Instead, she was helping distribute gifts.

She and her family are active in Chinook's Community Alliance Church, where Crawford attends.

Often, Crawford prays for help on Salvation Army projects, she said.

Brooke said she wants to respond.

She's been helping out when the Salvation Army distributes backpacks to students at the start of the school year.

She's active in three sports and a host of school and church activities, but finds time to help out at the Salvation Army.

It's part of what her religion teaches, she said.

This is how God provides.

What you do for the least of society ... .

"This is for the greater glory of God," she said.