Archive: Around Town

Tomorrow (Saturday, December10) you can tell Santa what you want for Christmas and bring food for someone in need at the same time, all while obtaining a Christmas tree from a local tree farm.  Moore Tree Farm is asking its customers to drop canned foods or boxes of non-perishable food into Santa's sleigh this season to help neighbors whose Christmas is less sure to be happy without some help.

"The local Lansing Food Pantry has a need, too," says Kay Moore.  "There's a constant need.  I thought Christmas is a great time for giving.  Saturday the 10th Santa will be here.  I mentioned it to Santa and he said of course he would be willing to help us.  And we have this red sleigh, so let's fill it."

Dick and Kay Moore have a long history of merging their tree farm sales with giving.  For years they have sent Christmas Trees overseas to active service men and women via the Trees For Troops program.  This year they sent one tree to an unknown location overseas, and are sending a second tree to troops in Kuwait.  Last year a tree went to Afghanistan.  But this year they wanted to do something for people in need in their own community as well.

"I've been thinking about it for a while, how to best execute it because of the bad weather here," Kay Moore says.  "Then the sleigh idea came to me.  I said how can I collect this food easily and protect it?  The Santa's sleigh idea would be a good gathering point, and we've expanded our barn so I knew we could have the sleigh inside, and, hopefully when Santa is here, outside.  Either way we have a place to collect items."


The Moore's son Jason got the ball rolling by including a plea for donations in a message to the tree farm's opt-in email list.  Folks who sign up on the farm Web site get occasional mail, including coupons for a few dollars off the purchase of a tree.  This time there was a note about the sleigh donations.

"I would like to, because it takes a while to get people accustomed to bringing something," Kay says.  "Our son Jason sent an email and immediately the next day someone came in with food.  That was quite inspiring for us."

Last month alone the Lansing Food Pantry served 282 people from 89 households, including 156 adults, 47 seniors, and 79 children.  Food items come from donations and purchases from the Southern Tier Food Bank.  Non-food essential items that are not available from the food bank, such as toothpaste, soap, tooth brushes, toilet paper, personal products, towels, diapers and other such items, are donated as well. 

"This time of year we do tend to see more folks and the reason for that is we assume schools are on vacation both in November and December," says Food Pantry Manager Nancy Myers.  "Heating costs is another."

Moore says the sleigh will be outside with Santa tomorrow, weather permitting.  Other times it will be inside the barn, and both food and monetary donations will be accepted at any time.  She plans to bring the donations to the Food Pantry December 20th.

"Weather permitting we'll put the sleigh outside for Santa's visit," she says.  "He has a good way of communicating the needs of the people who need the Lansing Food pantry.  I fell like we should be able to sell 300 trees Saturday, and if everybody brought two cans or boxes of non-perishable food, or checks made out to the Lansing Food Pantry.  Non food items like toothpaste or other non-food items are also accepted."

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