Dear Editor,
For many years, the Plainfield community has generously supported the PHS PTSO Needy Family Drive. In 2016, the community support continued.
This was the 24th year for this project and our goal consistently remains to make the holiday season a little merrier for unfortunate families of Plainfield School District 202. We helped over 35 families this year by providing an array of gifts for every family member and abundant food baskets. And, of course, we couldn’t have done it without the compassionate people of this community. We can honestly report that each family was overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation which left some speechless but just as many thanking us profusely.
As always, we had many groups “adopt” families; some took on two or more families. A heartfelt thank you to: Lincoln Elementary School teachers and staff, Ira Jones and Indian Trail Middle Schools teachers and staff, PHS-CC teachers, staff and student council, District 202 Student Services and Curriculum and Instruction Departments, C. W. Avery Family YMCA members and staff, Plainfield Auxiliary of the American Legion Marne Post #13, Followers of Christ Lutheran Church congregation, Plainfield Women of the Moose, Friends of PHS-CC, Dreyer Medical Clinic, Abri Credit Union, the students, staff and parents of Little Dames and Gents Preschool, A.I.M. Chapter of B.N.I. of Plainfield, and the Gierich, Stephens, Leonard, Bollinger, Jackson, Bauer, Weiglos, Morrison and Hossfeld families.
Central and Lakewood Falls Elementary Schools held highly successful food drives which allowed us to provide food baskets augmented by frozen turkeys donated by the community and stored by the Plainfield Moose.
The Plainfield Moose Lodge #2491 invited its members to donate to a toy drive and the Needy Family Drive was the grateful recipient of many of those donations.
Plainfield High School–Central Campus teachers Darren Kobliska, Matthew Clark, Jonathan Pereiro, and Patrick Hanley—challenged 20 of their classes to a donation drive and together raised $2,268 in cash donations. PHSCC students donated another $10,500 in clothing that the football team delivered to the local Goodwill. Additionally, for the fourth year, Mr. Clark designed and sold “ugly Christmas t-shirts” to PHSCC staff as a fundraiser and donated all proceeds, about $500. Mr. Joseph Conklin’s special education students held fundraisers and used those funds to purchase quite a few gifts from our giving tree.
To all the individuals who make it a part of their holiday tradition to send in donations, please know that you are an integral part of our success. And, to those individuals who donated wrapping supplies, helped us out with last minute wrapping and pick up of gifts, know there is a special place in heaven for you.
And, finally, we give an enormous hug to our special angels, Audrey Stein and Pauline Herbst, who fill in the gaps anytime and anywhere.
Karen Hamilton, Laura Fahrner and Linda Hanley
2016 PHS-CC PTSO Needy Family Drive Committee