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Santa greets a child during last year’s hometown Christmas drive-thru.
Randy Priddy assembles one of over 100 bikes.
Karen Mays, left, and Donna Scott spend hours wrapping teenage boxes with gifts for boys and girls ages 13-18.
Bubba Edwards and Staci Evans, left to right, fill gift bags with socks, shirts, underwear, hats and gloves.
Kathy Yeatts, Tammie Thomson and Velma Thornton sort through new shoes.
Charlie and Jody Evans proudly present the over 100 bags of candy they filled for the kids.
Darryl Thomson, left, and Charles Reed assembled bikes.
Santa Claus looks a lot like Charles Reed.
Organizer Dawn Hilburn fills the backpacks with special gifts for the kids.
Organizer Robert Hilburn loads a Salvation Army bicycle into the back of his truck.
Ann Fish Special at RockinghamNow
STONEVILLE – Joy and smiles dominated the faces of around 400 families on Saturday as Hometown Christmas Drive-Thru volunteers handed out new toys, stockings, hygiene bags and boxes of food in the parking lot at Southern Warehouse Finishing Plant 17.
“My heart is overflowing with joy to see everyone receiving blessings that have been given by others,” said Dawn Evans Hilburn, from Stoneville. She and her husband Robert organized Hometown Christmas a year ago to help families who are struggling to provide for their children due to the pandemic.
As the cars passed, Santa Claus, looking remarkably like Charles Reed, gave over 800 bags of candy to enthusiastic children.
Other volunteers from several churches, businesses and organizations added to the cheerful atmosphere by providing boxes of toys, socks and over 100 bikes. While some children received coats and shoes, everyone received new pillows and blankets to help keep them warm this winter.
“So many families have suffered over the past two years – not only financially, but mentally – because of the COVID restrictions that have drastically changed their lives,” said Dawn Hilburn. “We were overwhelmed by the gratitude we received. We want to change a child’s heart forever and leave a handprint of the love of Jesus that they will always remember.
