By Beth Haynes
Executive Director
Christmas Charities Year Round (CCYR)
It’s the most wonderful time of year, with sparkling snowflakes and twinkling lights, happy carols and rosy cheeks, good cheer, and warm fuzzy feelings. Though, the holiday’s sweetest moments look different for many families. With almost 40,000 people in Madison County living in poverty, the Christmas season isn’t the same for everyone.
Legend has it that in 1949, Milton Cummings and a group of leaders in Madison County came together to provide Christmas for farmers and their families due to the loss of crops from the boll weevils; thus, beginning Christmas Charities Year Round. As we come up on our 74th year of providing Christmas to those in need in Madison County, we cannot help but reflect on why we are still here.
We are still here because the community is still in need. Our name may start with Christmas, but we are here Year Round. We have a strong mission and have set out to provide assistance ‘Year Round’ to this community. Every program we have is designed to provide help and dignity to our clients. If we fail to treat someone with dignity, it is us, not them, who are undignified. ‘The saddest thing in the world is not poverty; it is the loss of dignity.” – Jonathan Glennie
Operation Believe provides toys and gifts to children and seniors in our community. Last year, CCYR, along with our community partners and donors, provided Christmas gifts to 655 children and seniors through our Operation Believe program. Nearly 4,000 gifts, 500 stockings, and 150 boxes of food were distributed. Operation Believe serves children 2-18 and seniors 60+.
‘Year Round’ we provide other assistance to those in our community:
Clothing Closet – providing clothing to infants, children, teens, adults, and seniors. Clients are invited to ‘shop’ from our clothing rooms stocked with new and gently used clothing. Adults can shop every 6 months and children every 3 months. Each client can receive up to 50 items each visit. Hygiene items, diapers, shoes, underwear, accessories, and more are also available for clients.
Mobile Closet – a clothing outreach program that serves school aged children and teens in Madison County and Huntsville City Schools. Students are provided with 4 items of clothing and hygiene items.
Waste Not – a medical equipment loan program providing assistive technology to Alabama citizens regardless of income or health insurance status. In partnership with ADRS, we are the only medical reuse program in North Alabama.
Recycling Program – in an effort to make the world a greener place, CCYR accepts unwearable clothing and worn-out textiles to be upcycled and recycled.
This holiday season I ask that you support an organization that supports your community. Find an organization that speaks to your heart, one with a clear mission, an organization that doesn’t disappear after the holidays and supports ‘Year Round’. You don’t have to support our mission but please support an organization in this community.
Our work has a powerful impact not just on the clients we serve but the community as a whole. We are reliant on community donations in order to continue providing these services at no financial cost. Please consider supporting CCYR and our mission in Madison County to improve the quality of life year-round for Madison County residents in need by providing program services at no cost. Christmas Charities Year Round is a registered 501(c)3 and donations are tax deductible.
South Huntsville Neighbors 