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-Press Release, Warren County Government
Four Warren County agencies worked collaboratively with each other, as well as with area organizations, this 2019 holiday season to make an impact on approximately 500 individuals in Warren County.
Warren County Emergency Services partnered with Warren County Cooperative Extension and Greenwood Baptist Church Women’s Ministry on the project “Pay It Forward ’19.” A church in the Raleigh/Durham area also was involved, supporting the program “Adopt a Family, Pay it Forward.” This project connected Cooperative Extension with 28 families that needed holiday cheer during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Rachel Monteverdi, former Family and Consumer Extension Agent with Warren County Cooperative Extension, began the “Pay it Forward” program 15 years ago. The program has served more than 900 families from Warren County since the program was started.
Participating families receive a food box, frozen turkey, toys, clothes, household items, and blankets. The “Pay it Forward” program also included this year an educational session on fire safety from EMS, as well as info on anger and stress management, and food safety. Greenwood Baptist Church Women’s Ministry donated purses filled with personal hygiene products for participating women.
The Warren County Senior Center in partnership with Warren County Department of Social Services provided holiday senior care to Warren County home-delivered meal clients. Twenty seniors were impacted through this program this 2019 holiday season.
“Without this service, many homebound clients would have been without a special meal for the holidays,” stated Vicky Stokes, Director of the Warren County Senior Center. “The outreach reminded these clients that they are not alone and that someone cares enough to think of them in such a special way.”
The Warren County Senior Center also held a Christmas social at the Senior Center that brought out approximately 100 participants. Many of these participants live alone or are away from or without family, and do not have readily accessible transportation, so the Senior Center’s services provided them an opportunity to gather with friends and neighbors, share a meal, listen to live music and poetry, play games and reminisce on past Christmas memories.
The Warren County Department of Social Services also conducted its annual Angel Tree program, partnering with county employees and the community at large for donations, as well as Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army. This program serves not only children but elderly individuals in Warren County as well. This 2019 holiday season, the Angel Tree program served 365 individuals.
Interim Social Services Director, Emma Perry, stated, “I would like to thank everyone for their contributions which helped make Angel Tree 2019 a success.”