Women step up to lead Christmas Bureau

Jennifer Godfrey and Jennifer Ingels, both of Holton, have stepped up and volunteered to serve as the co-directors of this year’s Jackson County Ministerial Alliance Christmas Bureau.

“We just want people to know that the Christmas Bureau is back on again for this year,” Godfrey said. 

Godfrey said that after reading the news stories in The Holton Recorder about no one taking leadership of this year’s bureau, she decided to volunteer.

“I had been thinking about it and was willing to step up,” she said. “The Christmas Bureau is a well-oiled machine with many volunteers already in place.”

Godfrey said she’s helped coordinate fund-raisers for schools in the past and considers herself a “very organized person.”

Last year, the Christmas “store” served 762 needy individuals in Jackson County. The Christmas Bureau provides free Christmas gifts, essential items, food and pharmacy gift cards to families, seniors and disabled residents. 

In December, organizers announced they were stepping away from their leadership role and seeking one or two people to spearhead the event in 2015. 

Last year, the Christmas Bureau received a $5,000 donation through United Way of Greater Topeka and additional donations from Wal-Mart and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. 

So far, $2,000 in funding has been donated by the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation for this year’s store, it was reported, with additional funding expected to be allocated by the United Way of Greater Topeka. 

This year’s Christmas Bureau will be held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, at Evangel United Methodist Church in Holton.

While the gifts and food items are free, applications must be filled out to qualify for the Christmas Bureau. Godfrey said that applications will be available in both English and Spanish throughout the month of November.

More details on applying for the free event or donating gifts or resources will be available in future editions of The Holton Recorder.