The Community Action Network of Rochelle hosted its annual Holiday Shopping Trip for children in need in the community at First Presbyterian Church.

The event sees children take a trip to Walmart with donated gift cards and volunteer shoppers to help them. It also features free coats and shoes at the venue along with a free meal and toys donated by community organizations. Santa Claus was on hand as well to visit with the kids.

The longtime event is supported by community donations and grants, CAN Board President Michelle Pease said. This year, it supported 225 Rochelle children, giving them each $100 gift cards to buy needed clothing and a toy.

“Last year we started doing $100 gift cards after it was $75 in years past,” Pease said. “We’ve done really well with donations. We have a letter drive that goes out each year. We have members of our community that donate every year to get us to the amount we need. It’s continued to grow.”

Organizations that support the event include the Rochelle Area Community Foundation, Rochelle Kiwanis Golden K, Small Business Bingo, Rochelle Township High School’s Student Council and Interact Club, and The Horicon Masonic Lodge of Rochelle.

Volunteer shoppers included city of Rochelle officials and staff, RTHS cheerleaders and Rochelle Police Department officers. Much of the work on organizing the event itself is done by CAN’s board.

“This is my 26th year involved with this event,” Pease said. “It’s a well-oiled machine now. A lot of the preparation work happens before the day of. We have a really good group of organizers. Our CAN “elves” set up and collect donation boxes throughout the community and gather the coats. When the kids start rolling in, we match them with a volunteer and send them shopping. We have a group of volunteers each year that show up with homemade cookies. There’s really a lot of people that make this happen.”

Toys were donated by Small Business Bingo and the RTHS Student Council and Interact Club. Pease said those toys allow kids to get more items they need while shopping. The lifelong resident called Rochelle “a giving community.”

“This is what life is about, giving back,” Pease said. “We’re put on this earth to help each other. This sets the Christmas season for me. Kids will come in and get a winter coat, gym shoes and some clothes that they need. And they can look like their friends when they go back to school. It’s huge.”

The CAN Holiday Shopping Trip caps the number of kids it helps at 225 each year due to resources. Pease said her organization helps every family it can. She believes there is “a great need” in the community that increases each year. She hopes that changes, but as long as there is a need, CAN, and the rest of the community, will continue to try to fill it.

“It’s a really big community project,” Pease said. “We accept donations and help all year round.”