- November 26, 2024
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Nadine King’s dream of making Christmas come true for 100 Flagler County families is dwindling.
King, director of Christmas Come True, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enable parents to provide gifts for their children by way of donations from Palm Coast residents, said on Monday that she has seven days — until Thanksgiving — to raise $5,000 to reach her goal of providing gifts for 100 families.
Last year, King was able to help out 65 families and 83 foster children. She had hoped to increase those numbers this year.
But last month, King had to cancel her main fundraising event because of lack of support. Not long after, Belk, a department store in Palm Coast that usually does her gift-wrapping, told her they no longer offer that service to nonprofits.
And so, with about a week to go, it’s getting into crunch time. “Right now, I could do about 50 families,” King said Monday.
Although it has been inspiring seeing the community come together to help support communities in the Northeastern U.S. that were impacted by Superstorm Sandy, King said there’s a need here, too.
“If the homeless families were walking around Palm Coast and Flagler Beach ... people could see them and it’d be more of an impact,” she said. “But the people who are homeless in this community are proud people — they just lost it. And they are in hiding.”
King will hold several fundraisers over the coming weeks, including a gently used items sale, called "New To You," from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 16-17, at the Christmas Come True location, 1399 Oceanshore Blvd., in Flagler Beach.
Following that, the Jingle Ball, presented by the Young Professionals Group and Rotaract of Flagler County, will take place Nov. 30. Tickets are $57, and a portion of ticket sales will go toward Christmas Come True.
“I love what we do, and I love the fact that people filled up a truck and people are (raising) money for people up in the Northeast, but all of that money could help take these families out of the woods and put them into homes,” King said. “It’s kind of hard for me to see.”
Feed Flagler
It’s also getting to the final stages of Feed Flagler, the communitywide event that provides a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to thousands of Flagler County residents.
Last year, more than 3,000 people were benefactors. But this year, Feed Flagler hopes to feed 4,000 people as well as provide a week’s worth of groceries to 1,000 families.
“We do have a lot of different entities that have really stepped forward and understand that yes, we are very close to the day itself, but there’s still a need for the nonperishable food items as well as financial contributions,” said Milissa Holland, Feed Flagler organizer.
Holland also acknowledged helping out the community in Keansburg, N.J., adding that a third truck will be donated to collect items strictly for Feed Flagler.
“Every time there’s been a need in this community, (residents) have continuously stepped up,” Holland said. “When others are hurting outside of our boundaries, they step up. But they step up when things are occurring inside our boundaries as well.”
To donate to Christmas Come True, go to www.ChristmasComeTrue.org or contact Nadine King at 569-4429. To get involved and volunteer for Feed Flagler, call Flagler Volunteer Services at 597-2950. If you need a ride to the dinner, 3-6 p.m. Nov. 21, call 313-4189.
