Brightside Angel Campaign shows true Christmas spirit |
|
|
| |
Deidre Treanor packages Brightside Angel Beads with volunteer Phyllis Lewis at Brightside for Families and Children on Nov. 5. Treanor serves as the annual campaign coordinator for the Brightside Angel Campaign which begins Nov. 27.
Reminder Publications photo by Lori Szepelak
|
By Lori Szepelak, Correspondent
WEST SPRINGFIELD Volunteering at a Brightside Angel Campaign booth during the holidays is one way to experience the true meaning of Christmas, according to Phyllis Lewis, a longtime volunteer at Brightside for Families and Children.
"The reason I volunteer is to see how nice people really are," Lewis said during an interview with Reminder Publications at Brightside on Nov. 5.
Lewis noted that when she has worked the booth selling ornaments and miscellaneous angel items, she is always impressed by the generosity of area residents.
"People don't question the cost, they want to support Brightside," she added.
Her most memorable moments are when people give her money not looking for anything in return.
"People will hand me money and say Brightside saved my life," Lewis said.
For more than a century, Brightside has offered a wide range of services to benefit children and families.
"Despite tremendous obstacles often faced by the children and adolescents who come to Brightside, we are able to provide them with the resources to reach their fullest potential, thanks to efforts like the Brightside Angel Campaign," Ned Whitman, vice president of Brightside, said.
The 29th annual Brightside Angel Campaign begins Nov. 27, and booths will be featured this holiday season at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, Tower Square in downtown Springfield and in the lobby at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield.
The booths will feature a wide variety of angel-themed products, including Angel Beads for Pandora, Troll and Chamilia style bracelets, "Heavenly Bear" teddy bears, ornaments, travel mugs, soaps, chocolate pops, candles, pins and T-shirts from the recent Brightside Toy Run.
In addition, Stillwater Art & Design of Shelburne Falls has designed and hand painted a 2009 heart shaped porcelain angel. The collectible ornament is displayed in a decorative box for $12.
Volunteers are needed to staff the booths at all three locations, according to Deidre Treanor, fund development, Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS). Brightside is a member organization of the SPHS.
Treanor encourages Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, businesses, churches and organizations to consider signing up as volunteers for the annual fundraiser.
"Our volunteers are special," Treanor said, who oversees the annual Brightside Angel Campaign. "We rely on them to support us, and their annual commitment speaks volumes about the local community."
O'Connell's Convenience Plus Stores are also supporting the endeavor again this year by offering a free cup of coffee to any patron making a $1 donation to the Brightside Angel Campaign. Contributors will also receive a pop-out angel ornament.
"The employees at O'Connell's Convenience Plus Stores recognize the unique and valuable service that Brightside provides to children and families," Michael Sobon, owner of the O'Connell Companies, said. "We welcome the opportunity to assist in that effort again this year."
The Brightside Angel Campaign runs through Dec. 24. Brightside Angel booths will be available from Nov. 27 through Dec. 24 at the Holyoke Mall next to Starbucks, as well as from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each weekday at Mercy Medical Center, starting Dec. 2. Volunteers are needed at Tower Square next to the food court from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18.
Individuals or organizations interested in volunteering their time to help sell Brightside angel items should contact Treanor at 748-9997 or via e-mail to deidre.treanor@sphs.com. Each block of volunteering time ranges from one to two hours.
Lewis also encouraged area residents to volunteer their time for a great cause.
"By volunteering, you see people who want to make it better for those who are in need," Lewis said, adding, "it shows people care about others."
|
Comments From Our Readers:
|
|
|
