The Sertoma Club ‘Christmas Miracle’ provides gifts for Jackson County children who might not otherwise have a happy holiday. Sertoma stands for ‘Service To Mankind’.
Applications can be founds in Seymour at the Jackson County Health Department, WIC office, Seymour City Hall, Jackson County Department of Child Service, Human Services Office, the Crothersville and Medora libraries, Jackson County Sheriff’s office, and Bundy Brothers in Medora.
All applications must be received by Dec. 18.
The Christmas Miracle Headquarters will be at Shoppes of Seymour on Tanger Blvd. in Suite 209 beginning Dec. 1. The headquarters will be open Tuesday through Friday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m.; Monday through Friday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.
Applications for toys and donors’ monetary donations may be sent to Sertoma at P.O. Box 841 Seymour, IN 47274.
Applications and donations may also be dropped off at headquarters starting on December 1. All donations are used in Jackson County for the children of Jackson County. The headquarters’ phone number is 812-498-2275 but will not be in operation until Dec. 1.
“We are not associated with any national or international toy drive. We are a local toy drive. Anyone who donates gifts or money to Sertoma Christmas Miracle can rest assured knowing that their contribution is used only for the children of Jackson County,” said Christmas Miracle Co-Chairman and Jackson County Sertoma president Ryan Begley.
Sertoma is participating in the Charity Tracker network to avoid any duplication of services. All applications must be signed by the parent or legal guardian. Applications are accepted for children 12 years of age and younger. All children must live in Jackson County and must be home for the delivery of the gifts throughout the day on Christmas Eve.
What was once a small, club-oriented service program has grown to become a communitywide project, the largest in Jackson County, Co-Chairman John Fox added.
“This program only exists because of the extraordinary charity of the people of this county,” Fox said. “We do not have enough members in Sertoma to pull off this large of a project without volunteers and donors. We’re truly blessed with the support of our community.”
