MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — In the 15th year since it began, and during a year overshadowed by a pandemic, Christmas Cash for Kids is taking care of more than 550 Eastern Panhandle kids this Christmas, thanks to a lot of help from the community.
“I was concerned going in with COVID and all of the stress people have had, but this community has come through. We have exceeded our goal,” Becky Linton of City National Bank said. “We had money coming in from the whole Eastern Panhandle. We had new donors, we had people that have done it for years.”
Linton, who came up with the idea 15 years ago to help children, even teenagers have a little something, including a little hope at Christmas.
“So we accomplished our goal. Everyone was taken care of, and we hope that these children have a happy Christmas when they get up on Christmas morning, and that’s what the whole goal is, no matter what happens in life,” Linton said.
Children are being helped across the Panhandle, including tiny Paw Paw West Virginia in Morgan County. She says through generous donations big and small, they were able to exceed their goal this year and raised $30,000.
Linton thanks all of the ‘elves’ throughout the community and her community partners.
“So many people. But a lot of it was just the change coming in, and that’s what we started with – that theory is that if everyone just does a little bit that it’s not a hard ship on any. I appreciate it — this community is amazing.”
The program has taken on a special emphasis to help relatives as caregivers and partners with Kathy Bradley from the local DHHR to identify needy families and help relatives shop for gifts.
Linton said some of the money not spent to buy Christmas presents last week during family shopping time will go to help last minute requests like helping a family quarantining with COVID get their gifts from Santa.
The Panhandle News Network and the entire Eastern Panhandle cluster of West Virginia Radio Corporation stations have been proud to partner with Christmas Cash For Kids since the beginning.