Community embraces spirit of sharing
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POLSON — There’s not much activity outside of the former Tamsco building in Polson, but inside the bustle rivals Santa’s workshop.
Tables upon tables support garbage bags stuffed with toys and necessities, tagged for specific families who don’t have the financial means to provide Christmas joy for their children. Beyond the bags, rows of dolls and footballs are sorted by volunteers. Colorful coats hang nearby, and winter boots sit in tidy rows. And it all comes in and goes out of the building in just 15 days.
It’s all the doings of Share the Spirit, now in its 16th year, according o organizer Toni Young
Early in November, families that need assistance fill out specific requests that fit the needs of each family member. That information is written on anonymous tags and distributed to Christmas trees throughout Lake County, where donors can grab a tag and fill the order in the true spirit of giving.
Items range from small toys to twin beds, and Toni makes sure each need is met, even if it means shopping for the items herself.
“I have great partnerships,” she said, adding that she can often buy $70-$100 coats at Herberger’s department store for $11-15. Share the Spirit also distributes items collected through the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program.
On Thursday, Mission Middle School students in the Dogs with Wings program purchased $650 of gifts and brought the items to the distribution center. They earned $925 by going into the forest, cutting boughs to make wreaths, and selling them to the community. The remaining $275 will help buy supplies for military troops next fall.
“Our kids did a lot of work,” teacher Valerie Umphrey said, “but our community is very supportive. We had 15-20 wreaths ordered before we cut the boughs.”
Soon after the students delivered their bags, Young was expecting the next wave of shoppers to arrive with their gifts — employees of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, who “adopted” 50 kids.
Young’s clutch of about 20 volunteers — including Cheryl Thomas, who has been helping since Share the Spirit’s first year — are dedicated and willing to serve.
“When I say, ‘I need something right now,’ they are right there to help me,” she said.
Share the Spirit will serve 1,183 children this season.
Katie Paulson, a Mission eighth-grade student, said it’s a great experience to purchase items for the kids.
“It’s good to know we make Christmas possible for them,” Paulson said.
