Be an angel: We need your help to make Christmas dreams come true

Still have a few names left on your Christmas list? Not sure what to get for the mom or dad who steadfastly refuses to accept a Christmas gift?

We have a solution.

The Empty Stocking Fund offers you a chance to finish up your shopping with a gift from the heart.

And you can make a child’s Christmas at the same time.

Send in a donation and dedicate it in honor or in memory of someone special, clip out the listing and put it in a box with a ribbon. It is the perfect way for a child to acknowledge a grandparent or a son or daughter to remember a mom or dad. It is also a great way to teach a child that Christmas is not all about what he or she finds wrapped under the tree — but about helping others.

And this year, we need you.

With a little more than 48 hours before the annual party for needy children, we are still far below our goal of providing a Christmas for 650 kids.

You can help us make that goal a reality. Simply write out a check for any amount and send it to the fund at P.O. Box 10629, Goldsboro, N.C. 27532. We will make sure Santa gets your message to the children and acknowledges your loved one, if you so choose.

This time of year, everyone is strapped — and gas prices have not helped. Digging deep has been tougher for all of us. But for some families it is not a matter of cutting back to have Christmas. It is about managing to find a way to eat and to keep the heat on.

Share some holiday spirit with them. It will warm your heart and make your Christmas.

We know we can count on you.

Published in Editorials on December 13, 2007 11:04 AM