1-440-997-0040
G.O. Community Development Corporation
  • Home
  • Services
    • Food Services >
      • Food Banks
      • Food Pantry
    • H.I.P.
    • NA Meetings
    • Technology
    • Work Programs >
      • OWF
      • YO! Opportunities
    • Education >
      • Available Courses
      • Gradebook >
        • TeacherEase Help
    • The Golden Thread
  • Staff
    • Staff Directory
    • SharePoint
    • Email
    • Staff Links
    • Board Members >
      • Bylaws of G.O. CDC
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Public
    • Building Use Form
    • Volunteer Application Form
    • Board Member Form
  • Home
  • Services
    • Food Services >
      • Food Banks
      • Food Pantry
    • H.I.P.
    • NA Meetings
    • Technology
    • Work Programs >
      • OWF
      • YO! Opportunities
    • Education >
      • Available Courses
      • Gradebook >
        • TeacherEase Help
    • The Golden Thread
  • Staff
    • Staff Directory
    • SharePoint
    • Email
    • Staff Links
    • Board Members >
      • Bylaws of G.O. CDC
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Public
    • Building Use Form
    • Volunteer Application Form
    • Board Member Form

G.O. Development Corp. hosts four-day Christmas event

12/24/2020

Comments

 
ASHTABULA — Children won’t get a chance to belt out Christmas tunes from the G.O. Development Corp. stage this year, but presents will be under the tree.

“I am so blessed. It is very helpful,” said Jessica Thompson as she picked presents for her children on Friday morning at the Station Avenue center.

She said the kids were  a little upset they weren’t going to be able to gather with everyone and meet Santa Claus, but she explained the situation and how the pandemic has changed so much.
Volunteers and staff at G.O. Development have been working on the Christmas program since October, said director Francis Norman.

“These are my elves,” Norman said of Carol Hunter and Debbie Hill, who have been working five days a week since October to get the presents ready for the children.

Norman said the pair wrapped an estimated 1,000 gifts and were still working on some on Friday morning. She said the gifts were donated by a many people and churches.

“[The donors] just did it. The community has been so generous,” she said.

Norman said there is a “Secret Santa” who bought three car loads of gifts for children.
“I don’t even know her name,” Norman said. 

The lengthy planning helped make the four-day event a little less chaotic than having 500-600 people in a gymnasium, Norman said. She said Friday marked the beginning of gift pick-up.
“We are doing [appointments] every 10 minutes,” she said.

More than 425 children are scheduled to receive gifts by Tuesday evening, Norman said. She said the pick up system allows fewer people to have personal contact during the pandemic.

Each child is scheduled to receive two to three gifts, a candy bag and the family will get a bag of groceries, Norman said. She said hats and gloves were also a part of the process.

“It’s different,” Norman said of the process. She said it was running smoothly on Friday morning.
“It is nice to have the kids party but this is easier and faster,” Norman said

A large number of families are scheduled for gift pick-up today. She said several Youth Opportunity workers will be on hand today to assist in taking the food and groceries to the car.

Brittany Chambers volunteered her time on Saturday morning along with Olajuwon Smith who also created a computer spread sheet to help organize the recipients.

Chambers said she volunteers in memory of her mother Valerie Chambers who assisted G.O. Development Corp.

“When she passed, we kept it [going],” Chambers said.


Comments

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All

Services

Services
H.I.P
Education

Company

Contact Us
About Us
News

Support

Terms of Use
FAQ
G.O. Community Development Corporation
Picture
Picture
Picture
©1999-2020|G.O. Community Development Corporation|3703 Station Ave Ashtabula, OH 44004
|Phone: 440.997.0040|PO Box 1173 
©All Rights Reserved

Sign In