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Thanks to Christmas CHEER supporters

December 28, 2017

For almost 50 years, CHEER has been making an impact on the quality of life for senior citizens in Sussex County. As a nonprofit organization, this would not be possible without the generous support of our extended list of volunteers. Twenty-five years ago, CHEER began to brighten Christmas Day for seniors who had no one else to share the holiday. Volunteers give up a few hours with their family and friends to deliver meals and gifts to Sussex County seniors living alone. This year, Operation Christmas CHEER had more than 70 volunteers visit 260 isolated seniors in the oldest and largest Christmas spirit sharing operation of its kind in Sussex County. On behalf of the CHEER Board of Directors, administrators, staff and seniors, I would like to thank our volunteers for their selfless acts of kindness on Christmas Day. Many of these volunteers have been coming back year after year and bringing their families. The seniors have come to know them and are excited to see them on Christmas Day because that is probably the only people they see on December 25. The visiting volunteers come bearing gifts that are supplied by the generous people of Sussex County. CHEER would like to thank the members and customers of the following organizations for all the gifts that supported the success of Operation Christmas CHEER 2017:

Gifts and can goods - Karen Adams Mary Kay Cosmetics; Coastal Leisure CHEER Center; County Bank, Long Neck; Dublin Hill 4-H Club; Greenwood CHEER Center; Harbour Lights CHEER Center; James H. Groves Adult High School; Rehoboth K-Mart; Long Neck CHEER Center; staff of Delmarva McDonald's; Meineke Car Care of Lewes; Milton CHEER Center; Betsie and Ken Moore; South Coastal Delaware Chapter 5226 AARP; Susan Deery and Phillip Showell Elementary School; Sussex County Court System; and Tabatha Circle of Georgetown Presbyterian Church.

Food items - Mountaire Farms, Short Funeral Services and Sussex Tech High School.

Monetary donations - Joan Brasure, Margaret Brasure, Rodman and Nancy Kushela, Mid-Del Foundation in Harrington, and Dolores and Robert Streko.

Pet food - Joan Brasure, Margaret Brasure, and Del Tech FFA through the generosity of PetSmart of Dover.

Poinsettia plants - Del Tech Applied Agriculture Dept.

Christmas cards - Long Neck Elementary School.

Labor to assemble baskets and meal trays - Del Tech FFA and Applied Agriculture Dept., Delaware Valley University FFA and Sons of Isaac Lodge.

And to the dozens of unnamed elves in Sussex County who wrapped a gift for a senior and gave anonymously, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generosity in helping brighten the holidays of a senior. You will never know to what extent these simple gestures of goodwill have in enriching the lives of someone less fortunate.

Kenneth S. Bock
Chief Executive Officer
CHEER Inc.

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