Santa's Helpers
Church gathers goods, spreads cheer
Nicole Tavenner
Santa’s presents are loaded into a sleigh by members of the Church of Latter-day Saints after a food and clothing drive.
Nicole Tavenner
Members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints work to gather and distribute items from a food and clothing drive.
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
Nicole Tavenner
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Emergency service vehicles flashed their lights and carried a special passenger on Dec. 17 — Santa.
Santa was assisting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a food, coats for kid and homeless gear drive. Between 150 and 200 church members joined the drive. It’s a two-day event. On Dec. 16, volunteers hung bags with a list of needs on doors around Polson and then returned on Dec. 17 for pickup.
This is the third year for the drive, and organizers added camping gear this year for homeless people who spend much of the winter outdoors.
Last year the drive collected more than two tons of food and more than 400 coats. This year, volunteers gathered 3,154 pounds of food, 100 coats, 20 pairs of boots/shoes, four tents, 10 sleeping bags, more than 100 pairs of socks, 10 pairs of gloves, 11 backpacks and dozens of handwarmers, according to Brent Bowman, one of the volunteers.
The food was delivered directly to the Polson Loaves and Fish Food Pantry, and the coats went to Annie Engebretsen at the Port Polson Inn. Engebretsen been collecting and distributing coats for 25 years.
Half of the camping gear went to the Salvation Army in Missoula for their homeless program, Bowman said. The remainder will go to the Ray of Hope Ministry in Kalispell for distribution to homeless folks.
