Gift of the Drummer is back and needs your help

Courtesy photo/CCS

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The Roble family members receive presents from the 2011 Gift of the Drummer program.

SALT LAKE CITY – The Gift of the Drummer program has enjoyed the community’s support for 12 years but this year more kids than ever are in need of Christmas cheer.

The annual clothing and holiday gift drive for needy children aims to serve up to 1,200 this year, but as of now, "we are around 100 kids short," said Danielle Stamos, Catholic Community Services spokesperson.

The children who benefit through Gift of the Drummer fall into the strict requirement guidelines of the program: the families who qualify have to be 150 percent below the poverty level, which equates to a family of four living on $1,863 a month.

The children who are a part of the program come from all different faiths and walks of life. "The majority are refugees who not only need toys and gifts but the basic necessities for growing children," said Stamos.

The Gift of the Drummer program will provide Christmas for children ages new-born to 18. The families that are going to be sponsored write letters explaining their basic needs. After the children are registered, their information is given to individuals and companies. The sponsors of the children just have to select them from a list that provides the child’s age, sex and clothing sizes.

Catholic schools in Utah as well as the parishes also participate in the program.

"Without our wonderful Catholic schools and parishes the program would not exist," said Stamos.

The gifts must be delivered to CCS by the first week of December; they will be given to the families Dec. 10 and 11.

"The kids are assigned to someone who will provide them with presents – winter clothes such as gloves, hats, boots, coats," said Stamos.

Among the beneficiaries from the program last year was the Viljoens, a family of seven: the parents and five children, who came to the United States as refugees from Ghana.

"Without the help of CCS, my kids would have simply nothing for Christmas," said Cornelia Viljoen. "They also received coats and gloves and even though last year we didn’t have a lot of snow we for sure were cold and those gifts made the difference in our lives."

"It’s very important to give to those in need, when families are shopping for themselves it doesn’t take that much to pick up an extra sweater or an extra pair of gloves," said Stamos.

Donations will be accepted Dec. 3-7 at the CCS main location (745 East 300 South, Salt Lake City).

For information about the Gift of the Drummer program, call 801-428-1216, visit www.ccsutah.org or email drummer@ccsutah.org, or giftofthedrummer@ccsutah.org