GENEROSITY CONTINUES TO MAKE BIG DIFFERENCE

Sometimes we may wonder if one person can make a difference. When it comes to Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly, each gift made a lasting difference in another person's life.

Because of the region's generosity, a needy child still believes in the magic of Christmas. Because of this collective good will, an elderly person realizes he or she does not have to face the holidays alone.

We only wish that the thousands of generous citizens who supported this year's campaigns could have helped deliver the gifts. They would have seen first-hand the difference their gifts made. Children's faces lit up with joy and excitement. Because of this community good will, these kids still believe in Santa Claus; their parents still believe in miracles.

Senior citizens danced with joy as they welcomed health department workers bearing Christmas for the Elderly gifts. These were elderly who had lost hope - not just in the holidays, but in life itself. Before this kindness from strangers, holiday cheer was masked by mounting medical bills and loneliness.

Before Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly, the holidays served as bitter reminders of things many of these people could not afford. But community generosity has replaced depression with hope; swapped dread with anticipation; supplanted bitterness with appreciation.

These people didn't ask for much - most children requested one or two toys. The senior citizens wanted only help with necessities, not luxuries.

The community responded with more than $14,000 in cash donations, and 5,000 toys for Toybox. A last-minute surge in donations allowed organizers to fill all requests, serving some 800 children from 319 families.

Christmas for the Elderly was also able to fill all the appeals this year. Contributions filled the Christmas lists for the 15 elderly families featured in the newspaper. Cash donations totaled $8,600, which will assist hundreds of other needy senior citizens throughout the year.

The magic of Christmas isn't hard to find this time of year. Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly prove that Good Samaritans are not a dying breed. There is perhaps nothing more special during the holiday season than people who open their hearts and pocketbooks simply for the satisfaction of helping others. They seek no personal gain or individual appreciation. They are simply interested in helping their fellow man.

During the holidays, and throughout the year, these caring people continue to make a lasting difference. They symbolize the Christmas message of joy and good will toward men.