Operation Santa

Several local families that risked having nothing for Christmas this year can now enjoy a festive holiday, thanks to the Kinston Jaycees.

The Jaycees, with the help of Santa Claus, distributed gifts to two of three families they had pledged aid to for the group's annual "Operation Santa Claus." The event took place Sunday in the Lenoir County Fairgrounds' main building.

"No matter what the situation is . . . we just want to make sure they have a good Christmas," said David Stocks, the Jaycees' incoming president.

Inter-Church Outreach of Kinston, which helps local citizens meet their financial, medical and food needs, referred the families to the Jaycees, who then purchased Christmas gifts.

They included an unemployed man facing a serious illness and his three children, plus his sister and her two children; a woman with a young child who recently found herself also caring for her grown daughter and the daughter's infant child born last week; and an elderly married couple - the husband was injured and out of work for some time.

"The main thing we see is a family that gets along fine paycheck-to-paycheck, but for some reason, that paycheck disappears," said ICOR Director Inez Dale, who also attended Operation Santa Claus.

The six children receiving Christmas gifts and their parents sat down with Jaycees members and their children in the empty fair building, eating pizza and playing indoor soccer.

Michael Powell, 35, of Kinston, has not worked for two years and is currently struggling with an illness. Before his disability payments were approved last month, Powell provided for his family by "any means necessary."

"We really didn't have one last year," said when asked what the previous Christmas was like. "It's a whole lot better (this year); it makes me feel a whole lot better."

Powell sat at a picnic table watching as his children - Shawn, 13, Nekiyah, 10, and Asharaa, 4 - opened up gifts they received from Santa Claus.

St. Nick entered the building about 30 minutes after the families arrived, shouting, "Ho, ho, ho!"

Claus sat on a stage, and handed a wrapped gift to each child as he or she came up to him.

"As I long as I can give to them, I ain't really worried about receiving," Powell said.

Powell's sister, 30-year-old Cheryl, learned of Operation Santa Claus after Cheryl Stocks, the Jaycees' treasurer, called to ask about her brother.

"I told her I could use the help too," Cheryl Powell said.

She brought her two sons - Brandon, 8, and Tracy, 4 - to Sunday's event. She is in a better situation than her brother, but has also had financial setbacks as the number of children coming to her in-home daycare center has shrunk because of the bad economy.

"Last year's (Christmas) was pretty good, and this year's, it'll be better," Cheryl Powell said.

The elderly couple did not attend Sunday's event, but Cheryl Stocks said she will "personally" deliver their gifts.