Santa's helpers are busy this time of year, and nowhere more so than at the United Way of Utah County offices.
Dozens of packages arrive each day at the local offices for the new Angel Tree program, and hundreds of families provide presents through the Sub-for-Santa program. It takes a lot of volunteers and generous residents to see that area families don't go without on Christmas Day.Currently more than 600 families have sought help from the Sub-for-Santa program. And there will be more before Dec. 25. Some families are still without sponsors, and United Way officials hope enough sponsor families will volunteer. Lile Lavaki, director of United Way's Volunteer Center, said numerous area and in-house volunteers make such a large operation work smoothly. Some of the key volunteers are Rosalie Olsen, Eric Zebley and intern Cori Fehlberg.
Zebley inputs Sub-for-Santa applications into the computer each day. A screening committee reviews the applications and selects families who need help the most. Only in extreme cases will families be helped who have received Sub-for-Santa assistance in the past. In these instances, they are assigned to work with a self-sufficiency counselor to make long-term plans for next Christmas.
This year more than 700 local families are being helped by donations and the coordination between United Way and those donors.
Sub-for-Santa helps children who would not otherwise receive anything for Christmas, such as those from homeless families. Families are matched with a volunteer sponsor who provides two new clothing items and two new toy items for each child.
In conjunction with other United Way agencies including Community Action, a popular new Sub-for-Santa program called Make-It-Take-It has been instigated.
These workshops are provided for parents to learn how to make innovative Christmas presents on a shoestring budget. Parents make their own homemade crafts or quilts for family gifts. Supplies and instruction are donated.
Another way residents are helping during Christmas is the "Angel Tree," a Utah County project in partnership with local stores, credit unions and a television station.
Lavaki said, "Angel Tree provides gifts for people in Utah County who do not have families or who do not qualify for Sub-for-Santa assistance. This includes senior citizens, nursing home patients and forgotten patients at Utah State Hospital."
Olsen and Fehlberg are heavily involved with the organization of this program. Fehlberg obtains the names and needs of the recipients and then records this information on angel-shaped ornaments. Olsen then delivers the angels, which are placed on trees in participating stores and credit unions. Interested people select an angel and purchase the needed items. Volunteers then pick up the gifts and deliver them to the recipients.
Lavaki said, "Without volunteers, the programs would not run as smoothly as they do, but the needs continue year-round, not just at Christmastime. After all, Santa works all year long, too."
Individuals interested in volunteering may call the Volunteer Center at 378-8108.