Robbinsville – The Graham County Public Library is bringing holiday cheer with the annual Giving Tree.
Near the entrance of the library is a green Christmas tree filled with ornaments – not bulbs or snowflakes, but slips of paper, with gifts listed for Graham County senior citizens.
“I think it’s wonderful that we all look after each other, especially as we get older and have fixed incomes,” said Mary Griffin, Nantahala Regional Library branch manager for Graham County.
“If people are able to make our seniors more comfortable, we just think it’s a good idea.”
A tradition started in 2017, the premise is to take an ornament, buy the item on it and bring back the gift to the library – unwrapped – by Friday, Dec. 15. The gifts are wrapped by library staff and delivered by the dispatch center and volunteers. Other gifts are given to the county’s senior centers, or people can pick them up at the library.
Griffin explains that the library receives a list of individuals, no name listed, and gifts they request from the Graham County Department of Social Services, the Snowbird Senior Center, the senior center and the Graham County Sheriff’s Office. About 32 individuals were listed for the giving tree.
The most common gift requests are blankets, toothpaste and large textbooks.
Robbinsville United Methodist Church also provides money to purchase local gift cards.
Each senior citizen gets ornaments with a gift, for a total of about 200 ornaments for the tree.
In past years, the tree was left bare; all the gifts given.
Yuletide Ministries
Another chance for giving is through Yuletide Ministries to give toys, winter clothes and more to 170 children in Graham County.
So far, there are 171 applicants to donate and 53 still need to be filled.
Friday’s home football game against Mount Airy aided the cause tremendously, with a toy drive being held at the entry gates and the Black Knights collecting toys for delivery before the game.
So far, $36,750 has been donated, but roughly $13,250 is still needed.
For details, call Ruby Turpin at 828-735-0032 or Mikayla Brashier at 828-735-6296.
“God has never left one child unattended to,” Brashier said.
“It’s always been amazing to see God impressing upon people’s hearts to give.”