You Can Help Save Their Christmas

A local  Head Start Program is in need of your community support and they need you!  Every year the Head Start program  helps more than 1500 preschool children here in Hampton Roads with education, nutrition, health and social services.  During the holiday season families in need receive toys from a Salvation Army  holiday assistance program. This year everything didn't go as planned and we have good news and bad news, which one would you like to hear first?

Bad News:
Unfortunately the Head Start leaders missed the October deadline to apply for this program through Salvation Army. The new management company CDI (Denver based) took over the Head Start locations in March and were unaware of this application process. "I don't know how that happened," Dowden said of the omission. "The person who handled this for the past 45 year left us in March, and no one at the time was thinking about Christmas, so it just slipped through the cracks." Lawanna Dowden, who directs Head Start for CDI told the Virginian Pilot.

Good News:
After several business owners and many individuals caught wind of this news, they decided to step up and collect toys for these children.  The Meridian Group, a local marketing and communication firm, had been looking for a holiday service project and decided this was the one!  They have quickly  launched a website Save Their Christmas, creating posters and asking fellow local business to donate toys, provide drop off locations and most importantly spreading the word.
Coastal Office Products is more than thrilled to help collect toys, pick up donated toys from various business's from Chesapeake to Newport News. We truly do care about how we can help these children enjoy their holiday. At Coastal you are always a neighbor never a number. Call 366-5502 or email rachelkemp@coastalop.net to donate an unwrapped toy. Collect them in your office and we will come pick them up. 

More Good News:
The Salvation Army has released  that they will offer an extension on the application deadline till Monday Dec 5th for Head Start.  Mathew Pochily, spokesman for the Salvations Army's Tidewater Command told the Virginian Pilot today "We heard an outcry today from people in the community who want to help this group directly," Read more on this story here. This does not mean the coast is clear, The Salvation Army has expressed that they need the community to help make this happen. You can make a difference! Call or email Coastal Office Products at 366-5502 or rachelkemp@coastalop.net to get involved.