A Community Christmas

457 families not provided for by the Adopt-A-Family program. Families with 724 children, 423 teens and 598 adults (totaling 1,745 people, an 18% increase) were provided a merrier Christmas through the ACC Giving Center. The Christmas Giving Center continued to use the popular drive-by gift pick up to distribute gifts and food/gift cards at the Stark County Fairgrounds. Each family’s gifts were pre-bagged using suggestions from clients’ information sheets. Highlights from 2024:

• Marines Toys for Tots provided AAC with enough items to give each      child (under 12) 3-5 new toys, stocking stuffers, stuffed animals, books      and a bike or scooter if requested (over 9,400 total items).
• Daimler Trucks also donated a large number of toys. 
• Each of the 423 teens (age 13-19 in school full time, not college), a 37% increase over 2023, received a $30 Walmart gift card, totaling $12,690. ACC is the only organization that provides gifts for teenagers.
• Each of the 1,745 family members received a $15 Marc’s food/gift card (totaling $26,175), and most received hats and gloves.
• Each family received toilet paper, paper towels, a blanket, bar soap and toothpaste. Based on their requests, families also received at least one of the following:
  • hand wipes, towels, Kleenex, cleaning supplies, food items, Christmas decorations, shampoo, clothing and shoes/boots.
  • $5,574.87 was spent on these mostly taxable, non-food stamp items.