Barnabas Connection teams up with Sonora Bank for Christmas Store

The Barnabas Connection is amazing. Whether they are helping with referrals to social services, to furnishing backpacks to this season’s Christmas store, and believe it or not, it’s been happening for fifteen years.

According to their website “Wimberley families in need maintain dignity and self sufficiency with help from the Christmas Store.” Families get a budget of $35 but the items are priced low.

“We charged about a quarter (of retail).. some people ask ‘why not give it to them?” Clients learn to budget. Parent’s dignity is intact,” Pam Ferguson, Board VP of the BC said. Learning to budget for socks and daily items must be taken into account. “We try to help them with their wish lists. Families often ask for sleeping bags. They need to keep their kids warm at night.” Kate Sowell Executive Director of BC added, “We helped 66 families and 125 kids last year.”

Coats are also a cold weather need. Donations can be made on November 9, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Sonora Bank. “We need new coats with the tags still on, sizes 2T until adult sizes. These are needed for the Christmas Store,” Sowell said. The toy drive starts on November 4 and runs until November 15, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Cash donations are also needed for the store.

“You might not see a lot of need. No, you don’t see it. It’s kind of hidden, not visible, it’s not centrally located in one place,” Ferguson said.

“Throughout the year we are good stewards of their donations (from the community) and we help families all the time, through out the year,” Ferguson said.

To donate a toy to a child, a coat, a new bike with a helmet, or to sponsor a family see their website at barnabasconnects.org/donate.