Holiday help for locals

A Christmas Storie unites residents, groups to aid 15 families

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For the last five years, Baldwin resident Heather Cameron has organized an event to help families in need during the holiday season. She started A Christmas Storie while working in social services and got a first-hand look at the large number of struggling families across the county.

This holiday season, Cameron decided to take the event in a slightly different direction and made it Baldwin-centric. A Christmas Storie, which shares its spelling with Cameron’s daughter’s name, asks Baldwin residents and organizations to purchase gifts and clothes for 15 Baldwin families who could use a helping hand.

Cameron reached out to the school district and social workers identified 15 families — three from each elementary school — to be “sponsored” for the holidays. She also got in touch with County Legislator Laura Curran to help with the logistics. Curran committed to the project, and began coordinating with local organizations to see if they wanted to sponsor a family — and an overwhelming majority did. “It’s so heartening to see so many individuals and groups enthusiastically jumping on board and saying, ‘What can I do?’” Curran said.

A post was made on Facebook to find sponsors and volunteers, and regular weekly meetings began in November. The event is set for Dec. 21 at Love Jones Café on Grand Avenue and work to make it a success is underway.

A host of residents have volunteered time and money in recent weeks, including Deborah Rebore and Enrico Nardone, who are in charge of turning Love Jones into the North Pole for the event, and Lynn Maniace, who organized a food drive last Sunday at Pathmark with the help of a friend and three seventh graders from Baldwin Middle School — Rachel Maniace, Colm Clavin and Amanda Rutha.

Lynn said the food drive was a success and the proceeds will be given to the 15 families to take home and cook a nice meal on Christmas. “We want the people [in need] to know that the community is here for them,” she said.

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