Bureau County Christmas for Kids enters ninth year serving local children

The local non-profit group, Bureau County Christmas for Kids, now enters its ninth year of helping hundreds of local children have a Merry Christmas.

The group is a completely volunteer-run organization based out of the Princeton Wesleyan Church at 421 E. Dover Rd. They look to provide Christmas gifts to children ages 0 to 14 or in eighth grade in the Western Bureau County Area.

Their area of service includes Princeton, Ohio, La Moille, Dover, Malden, Van Orin, Tiskilwa, Wyanet, Walnut, Sheffield, Neponset, Manlius and Buda. They also have an Eastern Bureau County group that covers parts of Spring Valley.

This year the organization already has 382 children signed up after serving 420 kids in 2021.

Families are referred to the group through school counselors and local church pastors.

In order to raise funds and stock for the upcoming holiday season, the group holds toy drives and places boxes throughout the community to collect items to be gifted to those in need.

The group will be holding toy drives from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 at the Princeton Walmart, located at 2111 Claude Bailey Pkwy.

In the Princeton area, boxes will be located at the Apollo Theater, Central Bank, Dollar General, Douglas School, Evangelical Covenant Church, First State Bank, First United Methodist Church, Gardner Denver, Heartland Bank North and Main, Jefferson School, Jillian’s Hair Salon, Lincoln School, Logan Jr. High School, Metro Center, Midland Bank, Milk Mustache, MTM Recognition, New Hope Church, OSF St. Clare Hospital, Princeton City Hall, Princeton High School, Princeton Public Library, Princeton Wesleyan Church, RP Lumber, Rustique Hair Salon and St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church.

Other locations in Bureau County include Bureau Valley High School, Community State Bank in Neponset, First State Bank in La Moille and Van Orin, La Moille High School, Malden Banking Center, Manlius Banking Center, Ohio School, Sheffield Banking Center, Citizens First State Bank in Walnut and First Federal Savings Bank in Walnut.

Donations of new, unwrapped toys can be made at toy drive that will be held throughout the month of November.

Aside from collecting toys, the group is also accepting monetary donations by depositing directly into the Christmas for Kids account at Heartland Bank or by mailing a donation to the Princeton Wesleyan Church.