Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
ALTON – No one should be alone at Christmas.
This sentiment is something that Stacey Noble Loveland and Laura Robinson truly believe in. With the help of nearly three dozen volunteers and the generous donations of people from around the community, local businesses and a little Christmas magic, over 900 seniors received gifts this holiday season thanks to Stockings 4 Seniors.
“When we heard that it wasn’t going to happen, we said that we had to do something. We both are very passionate about seniors,” Stacey Noble Loveland said. “The first year, we thought surely we could pool together our resources to put together 100 stockings. We did 150 the first year.
“The second year, we learned a little bit and thought since we did so many the first year, we could set a goal for 300. We ended up with 557.”
This year’s goal of 750 stockings was greatly surpassed due to high demand and a vast array of donations.
Exactly 921 stockings were packed to the brim with individually wrapped travel size items, including ink pens, books, candy, toiletries, calendars, gloves, blankets and much more at the organization’s stocking stuffing party at the RiverBender.com Community Center earlier in December. Over 30 volunteers worked throughout the day to ensure that each stocking was filled.
“It just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Loveland said. “We’re thrilled at the outpouring of support both from donations of items and financial donations.”
From there, the items were taken to area nursing homes, assisted living facilities and churches and distributed to seniors around the region.
“They simply let us know how many stockings they need,” Loveland said. “The need for this type of thing is great and to be able to spread the word is amazing. We’ve had awesome support from the RBCC, CNB Bank & Trust, Argosy Casino, Illinois American Water as well as many individuals who have shown up to donation sites with just bags and bags of wonderful items.”
More like this:
