November, 2013 rolled around and we began our Christmas activities by inspecting our new digs. Each year a local Blue Island company provides with a temporary facility where we can do our thing.
Once we are ready, we move to that ultra secret location where we store gently used clothing, the little bit of toys we have left from the year before and the few housewares we didn't distribute. Then we carry all that stuff back to our new space.
And we move in.
This year, we joined hands in prayer. We asked not only that God provide us with help in accomplishing our goals, but also to help one of our own who could not join us this year.
Then we began to collect items that we would give to needy families, like toys.
And clothing.
In between we had fun. Every year for the past two years, Romin'Chariots Car Club has held Hot Rod Holiday Hoedown for us. Participants not only donate money, but food, toys, school supplies and other items as well. Last year we brought in tons thanks to these guys. Someone even showed up with a truck filled with Donettes. We even covered our clients breakfast thanks to these guys!
The Cadillac Casanovas kept partiers hopping with their renditions of great '50's classics.
And here are the Romin'Chariot members themselves.
We met some old friends.
And we met some new.
We entertained ourselves.
We ate.
At the end of the evening, I walked out the door, and I fell in love with the first shiny vehicle I saw.
We picked-up food other organization gathered for us. One of the first groups to do so was the Blue Island Police Department. They had a squad car at Memorial Park at the beginning of our holiday season. Unfortunately, I don't have photos. Below are photos from Memorial Park and from Veteran's Memorial Middle School.
We packed boxes of food, clothing, Christmas presents and housewares for each family on our list. This year we helped more than thirty Blue Island families.
We delivered for what seemed like forever, and then we cleaned up our mess and went home to prepare our own Christmases.
A huge thank you goes to the following: The City of Blue Island; Mayor Domingo Vargas; Aldermen Jan Ostling, Marcia Stone, Leticia Vieyra, Tom Hawley, Nancy Rita; The Police Department; Bob Rita and Worth Township; First Lutheran Church; St. Isidore the Farmer; Grace Methodist; Christian Right Church; St. Walter's; St. Rita High School; Eisenhower High School; Paul Revere Primary, Paul Revere Intermediate, Veteran's Memorial Middle Schools; The Blue Island Park District; Romin'Chariots; Metro South Hospital; Bob Jones and Beverly Bank, the Simborg Family, Candy Carr; Lynn Ingersol; Betty Nagel and Joe DiNova. A big thank you to my sort crew; Ed, Jon and Becki Coyle, Bob O'Connor, Grace Diaz, Ed Diaz, Tom and Stephen Gerez, Gloria Zaper, Chris Rondinella, and Debby Coyle. If I forgot anyone, please accept my apologies.
