- November 20, 2024
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Each year, the abandoned Food Lion, in Flagler Beach, becomes the drop-off spot for donated Christmas gifts; and this year, 1,100 children in Flagler County benefited.
The perimeter of the store, with fading dairy signs still painted on the walls, was filled with bicycles, and the rest of the store spanned wall to wall with gifts for local families in need.
Last week, volunteers gathered to distribute gifts for the 15th year of Project Share, Rotary Club of Flagler Beach’s official service project.
Organizer Roseanne Stocker said the thing that stood out to her the most this year was how many people are still struggling.
“It’s the working poor,” she said. “Just below the surface of our everyday lives, there are so many that are struggling to get by.”
As Stocker and other Rotary volunteers distributed gifts to families five days before Christmas, tears of gratitude were the constant.
But the project would not have been possible without the donors and the volunteers. Several individuals, as well as churches, schools, businesses and stores, helped make this Christmas possible.
“This is what Christmas is about,” said volunteer Joanne Tavzel. “It’s an opportunity to give back. It really feels good.”
Tavzel was one of several volunteers who came out to help sort through the many gifts that were donated to the project.
Another volunteer Catherine Calcerano said that she was getting goosebumps thinking of the children who might not otherwise have gotten anything opening their gifts Christmas morning.
Stocker said that the strength of Project Share is that it is all done through a database, which makes it easy, and makes the resources go further.
“Whether they donated to Project Share or the other charities in Flagler County, (the community) has made a difference for people that really need it,” Stocker said.
