To the editor:

We, at The Salvation Army of Brown County, would like to express our sincerest thanks and gratitude to all of you who supported our recent Christmas outreach efforts that took place throughout the month of December. Our endeavors would not be possible without your generosities.

Toy donation drop-off boxes were placed at Fifth Third Bank, Family Dollar and Artist Colony Inn in Nashville, and at Dollar General in Bean Blossom, and were filled and brought back for our annual Toy Shoppe day at the corps.

The Holiday Light Parade and Toy Drive was a great success, and was the best attended to date. The parade route was lined with supporters and spectators, and we collected over 1,000 individual toys and gift items that evening. Thank you to Big Woods Pizza, who once again donated several large pizzas to the volunteers who gathered at the end of the evening to off-load the gift donations.

Also, throughout the season, many of you brought gifts and monetary donations to the staff at the corps to contribute to this effort.

We are so grateful to the entire Brown County community who join with us each year to make a brighter Christmas possible for many of our littlest residents. On Toy Shoppe day, we were able to accommodate 92 families, representing 270 children. A grand total of 1,448 toys, gifts and filled stockings were dispersed that day.

With grateful hearts, we thank you for entrusting to us this ministry effort, and we honor you for supporting us, not only at the holiday season, but throughout the year as well.

God bless you all, and we pray that you and yours have a blessed and prosperous new year.

The Salvation Army of Brown County, Lt. Kenneth Alip, corps officer (submitted by Rebecca V. Smith)

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