Volunteers help prepare Holiday Project store for Thursday's shoppers

St. Peter Catholic School Principal Gary Littrell directs student Garrett Harvey to the right table for his box of canned goods in the food area of the Martin Community Center, as set up for the 2009 Saline County Holiday Project Wednesday, Dec. 9. (Sydney Stonner/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Organizer Debbie Wallace said overall the set up was going well, which is good because she wants her last year as chairman to be a success.

"It's going out with a bang," she said.

Harley Collette and other students from Orearville School help unbox Christmas CDs in preparation for the 2009 Saline County Holiday Project. (Sydney Stonner/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Holiday Project organizers received much help from students from Orearville, Hardeman, St. Peter, Marshall, Slater, Miami and Malta Bend schools.

The students sorted canned goods into categories, "shopped" to make food boxes and made goodie bags of miscellaneous items.

Putting food into pre-packed boxes is a new addition to the project this year, Wallace said, to help with traffic flow and reduce the amount of time shoppers spend at the project.

"We're hoping they don't have to wait the hours" they did in past years, she said.

Food is also the one thing Wallace said the project could use more of. Donations are being accepted all day at the community center as volunteers continue to prepare for the event.

Although there remains much work to be done, Wallace is confident of a good outcome for the project.

"The puzzle all fits together in the end," she said.

The 2009 Holiday Project will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net