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Leesburg American Legion to distribute food baskets; ask for donations

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To the editor:

The Leesburg American Legion is currently accepting donations for the Leesburg-area Christmas food baskets, which will be delivered on Dec. 15. In 2011, nearly 80 families received Christmas food baskets.

Why get involved?

When I was about 8-10 years old, my dad farmed on the halves. We lived on a small 100-acre farm north of Sabina. The family consisted of 10 kids and four adults. There were five of us kids, five of Uncle Lawrence's kids. His wife, Marie, died, and my mother took and cared for her brother's children. Also, my uncle Carey needed assistance, so my mother brought him to the farm. We received food baskets from the Sabina Methodist Church during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mom said store food in cans wasn't fit to eat. We raised a garden, canned and preserved veggies and fruits, made butter from cow's milk and used and sold some chickens and eggs. We always had food to eat. I think Mom's statement about store-bought food was just to offset the fact that we could not afford to buy it. I said that with tongue in cheek because the donated food sure tasted good. I feel indebted to the people who helped provide for my family.

Mrs. Charles Williams organized and ran the Leesburg Area Community Center in various buildings with clothing, food and other emergency necessities. Others may have preceded her efforts and assisted her, and I know others have followed in her footsteps. This community, the Friendly Village and surrounding area, has provided for the needs for each other for over 200 years. When Mrs. Williams needed help in delivering Christmas food baskets, she asked the American Legion. Their original commitment was to deliver the food. Since that time, the American Legion raises the funds, compiles a list of needy families, determines what goes into each basket, orders the food, picks up the food and distributes the baskets.

Your donations greatly enhance the number of families we are able to serve. The food baskets consist of all the makings necessary to put on a dinner. There are four bags of groceries, plus milk and juice. In compiling the list of recipients, we start with last year's list, remove those who have moved, their situation has changed or have died. We receive input from our members and encourage you, your church and other organizations to provide us with names, addresses and the circumstances which warrants the need. The Leesburg American Legion members do the work.

Donations can be mailed to Charles R. Newland, 12900 Barger Rd., Leesburg, Ohio 45135.

Charles R. Newland
Leesburg, Ohio[[In-content Ad]]

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