ANAD brings Christmas Cheer to many this season

By U.S. ArmyDecember 19, 2007

ANAD brings Christmas Cheer to many this season
Darry Elston, a heavy mobile equipment mechanic, wraps a pair of sneakers for a child under the care of Department of Human Resources. Elston and his co-workers on the M113/AVLB production line are providing Christmas gifts for a child as part of An... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -Trucks from the depot pulled up to the Calhoun County Department of Human Resources Dec. 18 with a delivery of more than 5,000 pounds of Christmas gifts for children under the care of DHR.

The delivery of gifts-purchased from wish lists the children provided-is part of the depot's annual Christmas Cheer program.

Case workers at DHR helped depot representatives take gifts off the truck and carry them into the building. On Christmas Day, the children will receive the gifts but never know they came from depot employees.

For the past 24 years, depot employees have brought a bit of Christmas cheer to the community through various projects that help those in need. Throughout the history of the program, the type of charitable work has changed, but the mission has always been the same-spread holiday cheer.

The depot, in years past, has held food drives or provided resources to area non-profit agencies. Since the depot is a part of the federal government's Combined Federal Campaign and employees participating in CFC already have the opportunity to donate-on an individual level-to agencies here and all over the world, the depot has modified it's Christmas Cheer program and now focuses on the following two projects:

1. DHR Children: Employee groups across depot can purchase gifts for a child under the care of the Department of Human Resources. Employees bring wrapped gifts to a staging area (a.k.a. Santa's Workshop) at the depot before the scheduled delivery to DHR in Anniston. The gifts are taken to the home of the respective child before Christmas Day. Many children receiving these gifts are told the presents came from Santa.

2. Installation Families: Work areas can collect money and/or gifts for installation families-those co-workers who have experienced hardship this year and have financial needs. Installation families, identified only by a number and their situation, are anonymous to contributors but have been approved for the program through depot leadership. Work areas sponsoring these families can provide money or purchase gifts for the family members.

This season, the depot collected over $45,000 in total value of gifts for these two projects-201 DHR children and seven installation families were sponsored during the 2007 Christmas Cheer program.