The season is upon us! Most of you reading this article will likely have a wonderful Holiday Season, providing needs for your family and exchanging gifts on Christmas day. Plenty of people struggle daily just to put food on the table, let alone buy gifts for their children at Christmastime. So, it’s good to know people like you go out of their way to purchase needy boys’ and girls’ gifts so they can experience the joy of Christmas just like everyone else.
No child can control their station in life; they are brought into a family just as it is, and sometimes, it’s not a good situation. It could be a single mother trying to provide for her children and working two jobs, or it could be a family whose parents lost both of their jobs during the pandemic and have been struggling to make ends meet since. There are countless stories such as this, and I could write a series of books more extensive than the Encyclopedia Britannica to tell them all to you.
That’s why organizations like Community Enrichment Center exist; they help bridge the gap between struggling families and prosperity. CEC feeds countless people every day by providing groceries to those who need them. A $20 donation to CEC feeds a family of four for two weeks. They can really make their donation dollars go a long way.
CEC also holds a yearly toy drive to give over 1,000 families the toys they need to provide a Christmas for those in need. Imagine hearing about all your friends’ gift openings, but you didn’t have anything to open because your family couldn’t afford them. This toy drive helps minimize this tragedy tremendously so everyone can share the joy of the Holidays.
On Dec 5th, AATC was happy to host its very first Annual Christmas Gala and Toy Drive at Hurst Conference Center. With over 200 people in attendance, the event was sponsored by MFI and was an enormous success. The impact from this event provided eight pallets of toys for CEC to continue its mission. Our members showed up in force, and we are ecstatic to have been a part of it.
Special recognition goes to Daniel Pentikis, Honey Bees Roofing and Solar, and Jacob Crockett, Earthworks, who are co-chairs of this event, along with the AATC Community Services Committee. Our members’ efforts never go unnoticed; this could not have been possible without your hard work and determination.
Thank you all for participating in this special event; we can’t wait to see you again next year!
