East to West Christmas Gift Drive Launched November 5th
New Bern, NC – In response to the recent disaster in Western North Carolina, an East to West Christmas drive has been launched to bring holiday cheer to families affected by the tragedy. With the support of The Hesed Place, Sara and James Crozier, and Georgiana Bowman, more than 17 collection sites have been set up across Eastern NC to collect donations of wrapped gifts, toys, and other items for children affected by Hurricane Helene.
Community members are encouraged to participate in spreading holliday joy by donating wrapped toys/gifts, labeled with the intended age range and gender to ensure each child receives an appropriate gift. Donations will be accepted from November 5th through December 10th, and the items will be distributed in Western North Carolina from December 13th to December 15th with the support of the affected areas' civil services and churches.
Having lived through hurricane flooding and devastation, parents Sara and James Crozier know the heart pull of rebuilding a home and wishing to present at least some semblance of a traditional family Christmas. "It was three weeks before Christmas and we had done nothing for six weeks but put every waking moment and available dollar to making our home livable again after Hurricane Florence when my son asked about Christmas," James Crozier, a former Army Special Operations Sergeant Major shared. "I had not given one moment's thought to getting any presents let alone have the time to get any gifts. All I was focused on was making it so we could sleep in our home and not someone else's."
Sara and James created the toy and gift drive to take pressure away from families in Western North Carolina, to offer a bit of relief from the pressure they may be feeling as parents when they realize Christmas is only weeks away. "We were just driving along talking about all that was happening in Western North Carolina when James reminded me of how we had nothing for our son's Christmas after Hurricane Florence and no clear idea of how to get gifts covered," said Sara Crozier. As a realtor and as a sales agent for D.R. Horton Homes, Sara also knows the importance of home. "I just had to do something," she shared.
East to West Christmas is supported by both Go Mini's and Pack Rat, who have donated the use of storage containers to act as central storage points. Containers are located near three Edward Jones locations along with 15 other branches and D.R. Horton Model Homes serving as collection sites.
The central drop-off locations are at the following offices:
New Bern, at 246 Craven St, New Bern, NC 28560
Financial Advisors: Georgiana Bowman and Robert Knisley
Winterville, at 701 W Fire Tower Rd, Suite D, Winterville, NC 28590
Financial Advisor: Josh Sweeley
Kinston, NC at 4130 W Vernon Avenue, Suite J, Kinston, NC 28504
Financial Advisor: Stokes Malone
Additional Collection Box Locations:
(D.R. Horton’s Model Homes):
· Lake Tyler: 204 Lake Tyler Dr., New Bern, NC
· West New Bern: 1001 Chiles Dr., New Bern, NC
· Bayberry Park: 1007 Alizarin Ln, New Bern, NC
· Madeline Farm: 4004 Madeline Farm Blvd, New Bern, NC
(Edward Jones Offices):
· Washington, NC: Stuart O’Neal and Jon Oliver Address: 106 E 15th Street
· Morehead City: Cheryl Mansfield Address: 230 Highway 24, Suite B
· New Bern: 117 Middle Street, New Bern, NC 28560
· New Bern: 301 South Front Street Bldg 1 Ste A, New Bern, NC 28560
· New Bern: 3200 Trent Rd New Bern, NC 28562
· New Bern: 1316 Commerce Dr St D, New Bern, NC 28562
· New Bern: 1315 S Glenburnie Rd B7, New Bern, NC 28562
“We’re incredibly grateful to have the support of the nonprofit organization Hesed Place, Georgiana and her Edward Jones partners, my employer D.R. Horton, PackRat, Go Minis and simply our community as we work to make a difference in the lives of families affected by this disaster,” said Sara Crozier, a Sales Agent for D.R. Horton. “Our goal is to try and help establish a sense of normalcy for the children during the holiday season.” Sara Crozier has set up an Instagram account that will allow people to follow the initiative as it moves through collection and distribution of donated items.
Community members interested in supporting the initiative are encouraged to bring their donations, wrapped and labeled (gender and age), to any of the locations listed above. For more information, please contact Sara Crozier at 910-624-6051 or Georgiana Bowman at 252-514-0279.
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