Lions give Neighbors a Christmas Boost
Girdwood Turnagain Arm Lions Susan Opalka, Rorie Hammel, Allie Goens, Co-President Heather Durtschi, Kathy Trautner and Lin Hinderman with boxes prepared at the Girdwood School on December 19. Caleb Chandler (center) came through with a last minute bow delivery from his mother, Lion Kate Chandler. (Photo by Allison Sayer)
By Allison Sayer
TNews Staffwriter
On Thursday, Dec. 19, a group of volunteers from the Girdwood Turnagain Arm Lions Club met at the Girdwood School to prepare holiday boxes for families who, according to longtime Lion Kathy Trautner, “could benefit from a Christmas boost.”
Lion Ally Goens supervised food sorting while taking and making calls regarding the special components of holiday meal boxes.
This year 14 families received a combination of holiday gifts. A gift-wrapped holiday meal box for each family contained traditional foods such as ham and pumpkin pie. Holiday items were purchased with some of the proceeds from fundraisers held throughout the year.
A supplemental box contained nonperishable pantry-stufferscollected by Girdwood School students. The sixth grade was the biggest collector this year, with 214 items. Sixth graders Aria Rice and Reagan Martyn spent one of their free periods helping sort food drive donations.
Families also received gifts from the “Angel Tree” program, which anonymously pairs families in need with local individuals willing to purchase presents on their wish list.
The Girdwood United Methodist Church, the Girdwood School, and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows identifies families to ask whether they would like to be included. If the families are interested, they submit information including how many children are in the family and the children’s ages.
A few days before Christmas, families can pick up boxes at the Girdwood School. The pickup occurs after the school has closed for the holiday break.
Trautner expressed her appreciation for the school’s partnership. She appreciates school staff’s efforts to identify families in need, host a food drive, and provide a venue where families can pick up their gifts discreetly.
Local seniors in need also receive boxes from the Lions during the holidays, which are delivered discreetly to their homes. Throughout the holiday preparation, Lions expressed a dedication to respecting recipients’ privacy.
During the packing, members reminisced about the decades they have spent in the community. Lions have been making holiday packages for families in need for over 30 years. Several of the now retired women had worked at the Girdwood School. They felt things had truly “come full circle,” meeting in the school once more to be helpers.
The Lions hold several events throughout the year. Fundraisers include the August rubber duck race and booths at local fairs and bazaars. Other projects include vision screening, eyeglass purchase and recycling, Lions Park and Alyeska Highway cleanup, the Girdwood School end of year barbecue, and the Lions International Peace Poster contest. The club also provides scholarships for local students.
The Lions Club holds a meeting and themed potluck the first Thursday of every month at the Our Lady of the Snows chapel. Dinner starts at 6:00 p.m. and business at 6:30.