Christmas Cheer seeks sponsors

The Onslow Christmas Cheer program is seeking sponsors to help bring Christmas cheer to needy families and elderly.

About a 120 groups and individuals helped to sponsor a family in 2007. That number was down from some previous years.

Sponsorship Coordinator Shelley Bishop is hoping to find more groups, families and individuals that want to sponsor a family this year.

"The needs are great," she said.

Bishop and others are working to match families who need help with those who are willing to help. Some groups can sponsor large families with many needs, while some individuals want to contribute to the well-being of single person, perhaps an elderly person.

"Many sponsors choose situations that they can provide food, toys if applicable and clothing if required," Bishop said.

Sponsorship allows a direct or anonymous relationship with a client. Different sponsors have different resources, and families have differing levels of need. An experienced sponsor coordinator can help match a potential sponsor with the cases available.

For more information about these cases, or if you wish to consider sponsorship, call the US Cellular Sponsor Line at 910-340-1567. Messages left on the line will be returned.

The deadline for sponsoring a family is Dec. 15.

For information about volunteering with the program, call 910-938-HELP.

Here are a few of the cases available for sponsorship:

Case 22009: Single mother of two says the father of her children left her unexpectedly some time ago and now she's left with bills and taking care of the children. She's working for a modest amount and going to school in hopes of improving her situation. Her bills take the vast majority of her monthly income, and she has no money to buy toys for her children, a son age 3 and daughter age 8.

Case 22012: This family is military and the service member is commuting to a duty station four hours away. The service member's mother is mentally handicapped in a home, as she was homeless and they state that no state facility would take her. The family says they are financially strapped. The Jacksonville area family includes four children, ages 18, 5, 3 and a baby.

Case 22090: A disabled mother of two disabled teenagers desires help this Christmas.  She has housing problems, the roof leaks, needs a water heater and her car is in need of repairs as well.

Case 22104: A military family with six children is overwhelmed with bills, children's illnesses and circumstances that limit their ability to save and plan. The family asks for help with food and presents for the children.

Case 22105: A mother of five children has progressive stage 4 inoperable cancer.  Her treatments are out of town and her husband has to miss work to take care of her and to assist her in getting medical treatments. She has four daughters - ages 8, 11, 13 and 17 - and a 6-year-old son. Her wish to Christmas Cheer is for her children to have a nice Christmas. The family could use food and toys for the children.