This holiday season, one local service organization is giving out “Bundles of Love” to children in need throughout the community.
On Tuesday evening, a host of volunteers gathered at the TLC Community Center to assemble bags of school supplies, hygiene items and food to be given out to local children for Christmas.
“There are families here in our community who struggle to provide even the most basic necessities for their children,” said Angie Odom, founder and director of the TLC Community Center. “During the holidays, that struggle becomes harder as they also try to provide their children with Christmas presents.”
Among those volunteering to assemble the bundles on Tuesday evening were members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2166, the Elizabethton Elks Lodge, the Elizabethton Moose Lodge and groups from several different local churches. Odom said members of the VFW, Elks Lodge and Moose Lodge also donated food items and other supplies for the bundles.
Each Bundle of Love contains a toothbrush, toothpaste, a washcloth, hat, gloves, soap, shampoo, a comb or hairbrush, non-perishable food items and fresh fruit.
“The kids get so excited about these simple things,” Odom said. “It sort of breaks your heart when you see a kid getting excited that you gave them food. Your heart breaks for their need.”
The bundles also include some basic school supplies for the children.
“At the start of the school year a lot of organizations give kids school supplies, but those don’t last the whole year,” Odom said.
The Center launched Bundles of Love in 2014 and the program saw success during both of the previous years.
“This year our goal is to make 1,000 bundles,” Odom said.
Some of the bundles are distributed through the school system, some are given to children of the TLC Center’s program clients and many of them will be delivered to children throughout the community who are served by the Center’s Summer Food Program. Bundles will also be handed out during the Center’s annual Community Christmas Dinner.
Bundles will be delivered to the children on the Summer Food Program’s truck routes on Saturday between Noon and 4 p.m. before the Christmas Parade.
The TLC Center will host its annual Community Christmas Diner on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m. The meal is free to anyone in the community and is a dine-in only event.
Children who have not received their bundle can pick theirs up during the dinner.
Also, Odom said, some special visitors will be on hand for the dinner. Children will get a chance to visit with Santa Claus to review their wish list. Popular sisters Elsa and Anna will also be on hand to play with children.
For more information on the TLC Community Center or any of its programs, please call them at 423-543-4673.