Mat-Su Christmas charities unite

In our community, we are blessed to have three organizations with similar missions of service and giving — getting meals to the homebound on Christmas Day, serving a hot Christmas Dinner in a festive setting providing toys for children who may not otherwise have gifts, and caring for senior citizens. Those organizations are Christmas Friendship Dinner, Santa Cops and Heroes and Mat-Su Special Santa.

Christmas Friendship Dinner is planning the 21st annual Christmas Friendship Dinner, which is open to all regardless of age or income, and which served an estimated 2,800 meals on-site last year and delivered another 350. The meal will again be served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center on Christmas Day, with a bonus of entertainment, gifts for children and pictures with Santa. Our mission is supported through financial contributions of individuals, small businesses and corporations, as well as the generous donation of goods and/or services from many small businesses and individuals. For tax purposes, we are partnered with Mat-Su RC&D, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.

Mat-Su Special Santa served more than 3,000 children last year and has been gathering and distributing gifts for 16 years. Mat-Su Special Santa provides toys, winter wear, toiletries, bedding and other much-needed items to children in need throughout the Valley. The program works with Salvation Army and is the Toys for Tots distributor for our community. Families are referred from state and local agencies, food banks, schools, churches and organizations that work with families in need. Santas are needed to sponsor children or donate gifts, volunteers are needed in the workshop from Dec. 5 to Dec. 22. For more information, visit specialsanta.org or email matsu_santa@yahoo.com.

Although the Santa Cops and Heroes program has been with us less than five years, it has quickly expanded services to become a year-round safety net for senior citizens in the Mat-Su Valley. Our mission is to provide gifts, food and companionship to local valley seniors on Christmas Day who do not have family or who do not have resources to make this day a reason to celebrate and may otherwise be alone. The Santa Cop and Heroes continues to show seniors respect and dignity with year-round services such as snow plowing driveways, snow shoveling of walkways, assisting in emergency needs such as firewood, home repairs, personal care products, clothing, heating fuel, electric bills and other needs as made aware to the program for senior needs. Due to the overwhelming growth of the Santa Cop program, we have partnered with the Palmer Senior Center and have become a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

Last year it became obvious that it makes sense for the organizations to cooperate, rather than compete. Santa Cops and Heroes focuses on the senior citizens who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day, and the Christmas Friendship Dinner has made meals available to any family that has at least one person unable to come to the Menard center for the group meal. Both organizations serve people essentially from Talkeetna to Chickaloon. This year, Santa Cops and Heroes will open its application for meals to coincide with the application for the Christmas Friendship Dinner.

Santa Cops and Heroes volunteers in uniform will continue to deliver gifts and other services to senior citizens who fill out an application and who meet its qualifications. However, all meals for both organizations will be prepared and delivered by volunteers from the Christmas Friendship Dinner. Those volunteers will have identification. It is possible that some households will have visits from both groups.

All three organizations deeply appreciate all those who have been volunteering for years, as well as those who are new to us. We absolutely could not carry out these missions without the strong volunteer effort of our neighbors. No talent is unappreciated.

We also understand and acknowledge that, collectively, we are the conduit that allows individuals and businesses to express their generosity of time, goods and money throughout our greater Mat-Su community at Christmas.

To volunteer, contact:

• Christmas Friendship Dinner, at 354-6115 or CFD@mtaonline.net.

• Santa Cops and Heroes Program, at 761-1302 or awilliams@palmer.org.

• Mat-Su Special Santa Program, at matsu_santa@yahoo.com.

We all agree that together we are stronger than we are standing alone.

Elsie O’Bryan

Chair

Christmas Friendship Dinner Steering Committee

Donna Anthony

President and Founder

Santa Cops and Heroes Program

Mari Jo Parks

Chief Elf Organizer

Mat-Su Special Santa Program