Please remember the less fortunate as you celebrate the holiday season

Published 12:00 am Saturday, November 28, 2009

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone in the River Parishes. And with full bellies and even fuller shopping carts, residents here can now turn their attention to the Christmas season and all the pageantry and celebration that goes along with it.

Unfortunately, for many members of the community the holidays bring a sense of dread as they wonder how they’ll be able to afford Christmas dinner much less presents under the tree.

The good news, however, is there is something everyone can do to help out the less fortunate at this time of year. Get into the true spirit of the season by making a donation to L’Observateur’s “Food For Families” program.

As was mentioned in a previous article on this page, the program has taken on a new look this year. Instead of collecting food items, as the paper has done in the past, L’Observateur is asking the citizenry of the River Parishes to make monetary donations. The entire sum of the money collected will then be used to buy grocery vouchers from local supermarkets. So a gift to the program will not only help out needy families but also local business owners.

We understand times are tougher this year than most, but that is all the more reason to dig as deep as possible this holiday season. Any denomination will help, and you can feel good in the fact that 100 percent of your donation will go toward feeding the less fortunate members of the community.

Contributions to the program will be accepted through Dec. 11, but please do not wait until the last minute to offer your assistance. The sooner we know how much money has been collected, the sooner we can determine how many families will be able to receive the aid they so desperately need.

So, to everyone in the River Parishes, Happy Holidays, and we hope to be hearing from you soon.

By the way, L’Observateur will still gladly accept your non-perishable food items, but they will be donated to the LaPlace Ministry of Care this year instead of being given out directly by the newspaper.