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Weekend in Tulsa
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by Lynn Burdick
If you were to drive through our community for the first time and judge it, you would think Allen is a prosperous city. But that does not paint a complete picture of our town. We are blessed in so many ways but, as we have experienced firsthand, we are not immune to the effects of a poor economy or natural disasters. Also, as our population continues to grow, so will the number of people in need.
The Allen Community Outreach (ACO) has been providing emergency financial aid—a hand up, not a hand out, to help families get through a financial setback—in the form of rent and utility assistance, as well as food and clothing vouchers, for Allen, Fairview and Lucas for 22 years. And since its inception, the ACO has depended heavily on the support of the community.
One such program that has benefited from community support is the ACO Care and Share Closet. The Care and Share Closet is where basic necessities—toiletries, paper goods, cleaning supplies, baby care items, first aid, water and non-perishable food—are kept on hand. These items are necessities that are often taken for granted. But during a financial crisis, trying to decide whether you should spend your limited resources on a $15 package of diapers or a couple of gallons of gas could easily throw a family into a downward spiral hard to recover from. The Care and Share Closet is one way to ease the burden and help families get back on sound financial ground.
One of the largest supporters of the Care and Share Closet has been our youngest citizens—our elementary school students. Every year a calendar is provided to the schools and each month is dedicated to collecting a different item.
"While bringing in items for families in need the students learn they can make a difference in the lives of people in their community," explains Marion teacher Vicki Lane. "They learn the importance of everyone being a helper to one another. Along with instilling a sense of service to others, my students also practice their sorting, counting and graphing skills before our donations leave the classroom. My students always have a sense of pride about their participation in the ACO Care and Share program."
Even though the schools are a large donor, the Care and Share Closet is an ongoing need and anyone can help. Items needed on a regular basis include: toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, deodorant, large diapers (size 5 & 6), small bottles of laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. Donations are accepted at the ACO office on 301 W. Boyd, 8:30-4:30 Monday through Friday.
To learn more about how you or your group can help go to www.acocares.org or contact Lynn at 972-727-9131 or Lynn@acocares.org. |
