Local groups get in the true holiday spirit by helping out others

Jenny Bourge didn't know where to begin when I asked her to tell me some stories about chairing the North Aurora Mothers Club's Operation Christmas this year.

She started with telling me about the day she heard about a displaced mother and her 9-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl who were sleeping on the floor in their new apartment because they didn't have beds.

Bourge and the Mothers Club set off with club money to buy beds for the kids at Village Mattress.

"Village Mattress bought an entire bed and we bought the other," Bourge said. "When we came by with the beds, the little boy helped us put it together. The girl got a Hello Kitty blanket for her bed."

Then she remembered the day a woman stopped by her house to donate 250 Beanie Babies to Operation Christmas. The woman's late step-father had a collection of 7,000 of the stuffed toys and she was busy trying to donate them to as many places as she could think of.

And Bourge still thinks of the man who wanted to sponsor a family this year. He told Bourge that his wife had just passed away suddenly, and she always bought presents for families at Christmas. He wanted to continue the practice in her memory.

"I just wish there was some way we could help him this year," Bourge said. "And here he was trying to help others in need."

This year the NAMC Operation Christmas is helping more than 50 families, including about 175 children, Bourge said.

Bourge was also quick to point out the club's annual Christmas activity only works with the help of her committee, the club members and the outpouring of help from North Aurora neighbors, churches, businesses and schools all pitching in to help the families in need.

Committee member Misty O'Connell collected the donated food items at her house. NAMC members came by this past weekend to collect baskets of food items for their adopted Christmas families.

"We sorted a lot of food here," she said. "We sorted cans of vegetables, fruit, breakfast food and snacks and made sure that every basket had an assortment."

O'Connell said Wal-Mart donated 50-plus laundry baskets for the food items.

The club collected food at its Halloween party, and Herget and Jewel middle schools, Goodwin Elementary School, Polka Dot Dragon Preschool and the North Aurora Garden Club also collected food for Operation Christmas.

"So many people brought food over to my house. It's amazing the outpouring of generosity and support. Even tonight someone is dropping off blankets and more toys," O'Connell said this week.

She said another club member helped get more donations from a family friend who is a chiropractor.

Bernard O'Brien Chiropractic Care Center in Worth asked patients to bring in food in exchange for services for one day. The doctor donated the food and also donated money to the cause.

"He donated more food than we got at the Halloween party this year," O'Connell said.

Committee member Leanne Barton said she brought a poster and gift tags to Little Bit of Country preschool in Batavia.

"Three hours later, the school called me and said most all the tags were gone and could I bring more tags because more families want to help," Barton said. "Everybody who hears about this is interested in helping out."

This is the first time that I have been a club family leader. The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd youth group took on my assigned family of five and helped to get winter clothes and toys for the three kids. The family's mother is on disability and the father recently lost his job.

We asked my daughter's Daisy Girl Scout Troop to bring food to our November meeting and the 15 girls collected 39 pounds of food that the family will get in addition to its laundry basket of food from the Mothers Club.

The North Aurora Mothers Club has proven again that this group of caring women provide more than just Christmas dinners and gifts for North Aurora families in need. The club provides an outlet for neighbors who want to give from their hearts and help at Christmas.

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Have you taken your drive to look at Christmas lights and decorations yet this season?

There's still time to log on to the North Aurora Lions Club Web site and get a list of entrants in this year's decorating contest. The last day to cast votes is noon Saturday.

It's fun to see the neighborhoods decorated in the winter darkness. You might even discover some hidden homes that aren't in the contest while you're staking out the houses on the list.

The list of homes and contest rules are found on www.geocities.com/northauroralions/.