A Lexington Christmas store for families lost its decorations. It needs your help.
Twenty-four years worth of holiday decorations for the Catholic Action Center’s Faith & Community Christmas Store in Lexington were mistakenly thrown away, forcing the store to start over.
The Catholic Action Center is asking for the community’s help to replenish its store decorations as it prepares to open for its 24th year. The Christmas store provides parents and grandparents a place to shop for their children free of cost.
Gifts for more than 18,000 children — the number served last year — will be selected from Dec. 17 through Dec. 19 at Southland Christian Church on Richmond Road, an organizer said. Each shopper will have a volunteer who will help pick out items.
The decorations, which included lights, nativity scenes, bells and a large Santa Claus, helped make the experience more festive for the shoppers, said Ginny Ramsey, co-founder of the Catholic Action Center.
“That’s part of the whole experience, the environment,” Ramsey said. “The joy of walking in and seeing all the lights, the trees ... it puts a smile on their face.
“We had become automatic in the setup,” she added. “We added things to it, but now it’s like, ‘Oh, what do we do? It’s all gone.’”
If you have large Christmas decorations or know of a business that is not using an indoor or outdoor display this year, donations will be accepted on Dec. 12 or Dec. 13 at Southland Christian Church. Call 859-514-7210 or email caclex2000@gmail.com with offers or questions.
The Catholic Action Center is also accepting volunteers to help set up this year’s store and donations of toys, games, and stuffed animals. Merchandise can be dropped off at the Catholic Action Center; Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary Church; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church; Saints Peter and Paul School; University of Kentucky’s Newman Center; Christ the King; Lexington Christian Academy; and Southland Christian Church on Harrodsburg and Richmond roads.
Volunteers are also needed as personal shoppers, inventory organizers, food distributors and package carriers. For more information on how to sign up, visit catholicactioncenter.net/christmas-store.
Ramsey said the three-day store unites the community as more than 2,400 volunteers help throughout the week.
“It’s a way for the community to connect and be sure those children will wake up with something under the tree,” Ramsey said. “We make it a mall experience and dignified, fun and connective.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 10:05 AM.