Helping for the holidays

A s the holiday season nears, area groups are busy helping the less fortunate, and they can use some help from the community.

Area organizations have shared requests for items to help in their missions.

The requests include specific items, both small and large; monetary donations; or donations of time.

If you're looking for ways to brighten the season for area residents who need some extra holiday cheer, look no further.

Socks for seniors

Socks for seniors collects new, unwrapped items for area nursing homes for the holidays. The deadline is Dec. 12.

Suggested items include adult socks, non-skid or other; soft tissues; back scratchers; personal care items; small hand sanitizers; garden gloves, which are great for wheelchair use; Dial, liquid and solid; fashion scarves; snacks, small bags; hair brush, comb, barrettes, hair picks; men's cologne and aftershave; body spray; large print puzzle books; shower caps; costume jewelry; sugar free candy; nail polish, lipstick, chapstick; body lotions and deodorant; men's baseball caps; Christmas decorations for individual residents' rooms; or anything to make a senior's holiday special.

Drop-off locations are:

Tamaqua: Dr. Puddu's office, M&S Hardware & AAA

Coaldale: Tommy's Italian Restaurant, Angela Triplex Theater

Lansford: Sports Zoo, JJ's Hair & Tanning, First Niagara Bank, Jim Thorpe National Bank

Summit Hill: Hiles Brothers, Batter's Box

Nesquehoning: Classic Beverage

Lehighton: Midas, Lehighton Kia

Jim Thorpe: Mauch Chunk 5&10

For more information, contact madula@ptd.net or 570-645-4228.

Tamaqua Area Adult Day Care Center

small stepladder

microwave cart or small kitchen cabinet

CDs of polka music

Crayola washable paints

glue, glue sticks and mod podge

Denise Skrabak,

Facility director

300 West Broad Street

P.O. Box 485

Tamaqua, PA 18252

LA Events Committee

Kennedy Park items:

1. Monetary donations to fix the coal car in Kennedy Park

2. Painter, carpenter, paint and supplies to fix the gazebo.

3. Pruning of trees and bushes.

4. A rock garden with beautiful flowers and a couple of new benches for our music in the park.

For the children: Hot dog cart, snow cone machine, popcorn machine, cotton candy machine

LA Events Committee

P.O. Box 172

Lansford, PA 18232

Rotary Club of Jim Thorpe

The Rotary Club of Jim Thorpe leads a community project where CCTI marketing students help buy 800 articles of clothing for approximately 150 disadvantaged children in the Jim Thorpe Area School District. National Honor Society students at Jim Thorpe Area High School prepare each child's package of four to six articles of clothing and places them in a holiday gift bag approximately 2 feet by 1 foot. We wish for donations to cover the cost of the bags so we can spend as much as possible on the gifts themselves.

The Rotary Club of Jim Thorpe

P.O. Box 103

Jim Thorpe,PA18229

Meals on Wheels of Palmerton

Meals on Wheels of Palmerton is a nonprofit funded by donations that provides three delicious, healthy meals every Monday through Friday to shut-ins. The meals are delivered by volunteer drivers. In addition to delivering the much-needed meals, we provide caring contact to these individuals.In many cases, this service allows our clients to continue to live in their homes.

Our wish list would be for more volunteer drivers, gas cards, for the drivers, monetary donations and postage stamps.

All of these donations can be sent to Darlene Nothstein at 526 Harvard Court, Palmerton, PA 18071, or to Meals on Wheels, Blue Mountain Health System, 135 Lafayette Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071. We have been serving our community since 1972. If you have any questions, please email dnd2@ptd.net or call 610-826-7339.

Thank you!

Darlene Nothstein

Be a Santa to a Senior

The community will have an opportunity to help local senior citizens who might otherwise be overlooked this holiday season. Home Instead Senior Care is teaming up with nonprofit agencies and area retailers to sponsor Be a Santa to a Senior a program that collects, wraps and delivers gifts to lonely and needy seniors in Schuylkill County.

The program, which depends on community support, runs from Nov. 14-Dec. 12. The need is especially great this year. For more information about the local program, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com. Thanks!

Kristin Danley-Greiner

On behalf of Home Instead Senior Care

888-296-2411, ext. 4968

kristin@alberscommunications.com

Pocono Greyhound Adoption

Pocono Greyhound Adoption wishes all pet lovers would come out to support us by having their pet's photos taken with Santa. Santa will be at the following locations:

Nov 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Tractor Supply Company Store on Route 209 in Brodheadsville.

Dec 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Tractor Supply Company Store on Route 940 in Mount Pocono.

Dec 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Tractor Supply Company Store on Route 443 in Lehighton.

Dec 14, noon to 4 p.m., at the Tractor Supply Company Store on Route 443 in Lehighton.

Dec 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Tractor Supply Company Store on Route 93 in West Hazleton.

All Proceeds benefit Pocono Greyhound Adoption. Proceeds from the Lehighton store are shared with Amazing Grace Spay Neuter Program.

Northeast Counseling Services Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center

The nonprofit organization located in Lehighton serves Carbon County residents living with serious mental health issues. The organization currently serves over 40 county residents and provides skill training and counseling in an all-day, 5 days per week, group therapy program.

We have a courtyard and are currently looking for two picnic tables and 10 patio chairs to use for recreational needs and program functioning.

Glenn Salata

Program coordinator

West End Rotary Coat Drive

The West End Rotary is need help for its current coat drive. The goal is to give a total of 400 coats.

The weather experts are suggesting that 2014-15 will exceed 2013-14 in cold and snow.

The Rotary would like to help as many children as possible. They are reaching out to the community to ask for coat sponsorships.

Besides giving a child warmth, a new coat gives them a sense of pride and ownership. This is usually lacking in families just struggling to get by.

The coats come in 12 different colors in boys and girls styles. They are made of 100 percent recycled material and are produced by the nonprofit organization Operation Warm. Coats are $20 each or $102 for a case of six.

Diana Cardwell

570-402-8548

dirog@ptd.net

To be included in this year's published wish lists, email your group's list of needs and contact information to tneditor@tnonline.com.