Packing boxes of food for those in need are volunteers from St. Ignace Moose Lodge 999, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter crew members from the Biscayne Bay, Glen's employees, and other community volunteers. The group packed and delivered boxes Saturday, December 20. Pictured are (from left, standing) Shawn Pelon, Jason McCall, Roger Childers, Howard Everson, Robert Conguy, Jason Fisher, Francis Bellant, Ron Wartella, Dale Hess, John Gold, Robert St. Andrew, Quentin Goudreau, Louis Conguy, Ken Hardy, Eric Pederson, Cary Godwin; (kneeling, back row) Brandon Underwood, Kyle Decker, Joshua Zike, Clift Newberry, Anita Marshall, Cally Klimczak, Patrice Mackin; (kneeling, front) Donna Robach, Arletta Pope, Dawn Nelson, Dale Nelson, and Mike Desormeaux. Missing from photograph are Jim Kelly, John Ellis, and Branden Prout. The squeak of snow under tires could be heard along nearly deserted streets in St. Ignace before dawn Saturday, December 20. With temperatures in the single digits and snow falling steadily, volunteers made their way to the north and south ends of town, meeting at two locations. Each group, more than 30 volunteers in total, were there to assist those who need extra help providing food and gifts for their families this holiday season.

These "Santa's Elves" are students in Patrice Mackin's fourth grade class at St. Ignace Elementary. Each year the class prepares cookies for the Moose Lodge 999 Christmas basket program. Freshly baked Thursday, December 18, the cookies are ready to be packaged. The Moose will add the treats to holiday food baskets Saturday, December 20, and distribute them to families in need. Pictured are (from left, front row) Alysse Bentley, Sheridan Bigger; (back) Jared Mountain, Lucas Hammand, and Lauren Yoder. "I just really appreciate it," said Ulysses Sistruck of St. Ignace, the father of three. He earns less than $10 an hour, and his wife is laid off. He was looking for Christmas gifts for his children early Saturday at Community Action Agency.

The gifts were free.

About $5,000 worth of gifts for children were available to those in need, said volunteer Wendy Colegrove of St. Ignace, and all items were donated by community members.

Ulysses Sistruck (left) and Jessie Huskey pick out gifts for their children from items collected during the Mackinac County toy drive. The two St. Ignace fathers each have three children. They were assisted in their efforts by volunteer toy drive co-director Wendy Colegrove Saturday, December 20, at Community Action Agency. Mrs. Colegrove headed the Mackinac County Toy Drive with Sally Hazen, also of St. Ignace. Community Action Agency offered use of its building for distribution of the collected gifts.

Spread over tables that filled the main dining room at the Reagon Street agency were toys for all ages, clothing, games, dolls, cars, books, and stocking stuffers.

More than 275 children benefited from the Christmas gifts. Families were allowed to choose four to five gifts per child. Wrapping paper and tape also were available.

The program makes it possible for families to have presents for their children, said Mrs. Colegrove.

"We didn't know what we were going to do, really," said Mr. Sistruck.

Teamwork and organization is the plan of (from left) Melissa Worden, Jade Edelman, Eileen Getzen, and Donna Elder. The girls are placing cookies on a tray and then slipping it into a plastic bag to keep the treats fresh. A note is included with each package that wishes the recipient happy holidays. His family also has had to rely on help from St. Ignace Area Hope, the St. Ignace Food Pantry, and other organizations this winter. Even paying utility bills has been a struggle.

"I'm overwhelmed by the stuff they have," he said.

On the south side of town at Glen's Market, members of St. Ignace Moose Lodge 999 were joined by crew from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay, Glen's employees, and other volunteers, who packed boxes with food, enough to feed a family on Christmas Day, including breakfast.

"It hits your soul," said Patrice Mackin, a volunteer and fourth grade teacher at St. Ignace Elementary School, who was packing food boxes. "This is my Christmas today."

Working with Ms. Mackin was her former sixth grade student, Cally Klimczak, who now is attending Central Michigan University. Miss Klimczak came to help pack the boxes with her boyfriend, Jason Fisher, who is stationed aboard the Biscayne Bay. She recalled that it was fun making cookies for the boxes with her classmates when she was a student in Ms. Mackin's sixth grade class. Each year, the students, with the aid of school cooks, make cookies for the boxes.

Kurtis Belonga (left) and James Cardin carefully place chocolate candy kisses on top of the still-warm cookies in the school kitchen. As an adult participating in the project Saturday, Ms. Klimczak said she appreciated the number of people who were at Glen's to volunteer their time.

"I was really happy with the number of people who showed up," she said. "It's nice that people volunteer to do this."

"What I'm trying to teach the kids is actually happening," said Ms. Mackin of her former student's assistance. "This is my goal."

With the help of a discount from the grocery store, the Moose Lodge was able to purchase about $4,000 worth of food with approximately $3,000, making it possible for volunteers to fill 135 boxes and deliver them to families.

"If we didn't have the store doing this," said Moose member Ken Hardy, "we wouldn't be able to do it."

Mr. Hardy and Roger Childers served as co-chairs of the project this year.

"Every year they do it, it's bigger and better," said Dale Hess, store director at Glen's Market. "And we love doing it. It's a good program."

The Moose contributes to the project, which they have organized for the last 25 years, also relying on individuals, businesses, and other organizations to donate money to help purchase the food.

With the help of local social service agencies, they had a list of 85 families who needed the food.

"That was two days ago," said Mr. Hardy.

Within 48 hours, the list quickly grew and 50 more families were added.

An assembly line of volunteers stretched along the back room of the grocery store, each adding supplies to the boxes. Items packed in each included 10 pounds of potatoes, a frozen turkey, eggs, bacon, bread, cookies, vegetables, stuffing, and candy canes.

Once a box was filled, it was loaded into a waiting pickup truck. The vehicle owner then was given a confidential list of names with addresses. Before 8 a.m., the first driver was on the way to deliver the cargo.

All deliveries were made Saturday to areas including Hessel, Cedarville, Pickford, St. Ignace, St. Ignace Township, Moran Township, Brevort Township, Trout Lake, and Mackinac Island.

Any extra items, say volunteers from the Moose and toy drive, will be given to St. Ignace Food Pantry, Area Hope, and the Cedarville Thrift Shop. The toy drive also contributed $200 to the senior citizens Christmas dinner at Community Action Agency in St. Ignace Monday, December 22.