Carthage Christmas Club plans
for holiday food gift boxes

The Carthage Christmas Club is now gearing up for this year’s holiday food distribution. This community
service provides food boxes for families in need during the Christmas season.
The boxes include ham, canned goods, fresh produce and other basic staples for a holiday meal and
family use.
The food boxes will be filled by volunteers on Friday, Dec. 9, beginning at 1 p.m. at the First Baptist
Church community room, and will be delivered to the families the next morning, Saturday, Dec. 10,
starting at 8 a.m.
At this point, the committee can use help through financial donations to support the project, and
volunteers to help pack and deliver the boxes. Because the list of items for each box is the same, the
committee does not request donations of food.
Financial donations to the Carthage Christmas Club can be taken to Marine Bank and Trust in Carthage;
sent to treasurer, Dave Dion at 220 S. Madison, Carthage; or given to any of the committee members.
Recipients of the food boxes are suggested in a number of ways, including by area pastors, service
agencies and anyone knowing a family in need.
This service was started by the Carthage Area Ministerial Alliance in the 1960s and has continued since
that time, now directed by a local committee.
For more information, to volunteer, or to give the name of a family who might need a food box, call
steering committee member, Marcia McGaughey at 319-795-2157. Other committee members are Dave
Dion, Cheryl Underwood, Ruth Kinnamon, Joy Swearingen and Donna Tracy.