IN COVID ERA, PEOPLE REACHED OUT

Gifts Pile Up; Salvation

Army Can Help 500 Kids

At the Salvation Army gym, 25 River St., Oneonta, volunteers Joan Hill and Judy Barnum, top photo, yesterday were sorting piles of Christmas presents, enough to help 216 family with a total of 500 children. “This year has been really great.” said Capt. Selah Bender. “A lot of bank lobbies have been closed, so it has been difficult for people to get tags from the Giving Trees, but they went online and shipped us gifts! That’s never happened before! Donors have really gone above and beyond in being generous. Every present is part of their paycheck they are sacrificing.”  Inset, from left, are Captain Bender, Hill, Barnum, Kyanna Clark, Darlene Barlow and Kenny Clark.  “We have also had lots of parents with children dropping off presents,” said Bender.  “The need this year is greater, but we haven’t run out. Every time it looks like we are about to run dry, people come in with more.”  Donations will be accepted at 25 River St., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. until Dec. 22.  (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)