AURORA —James Morgan, 7, was bustling between buckets of toys at the Aurora Public Library, feverishly stuffing small trinkets that he personally would like to receive into dozens of stockings.
“I’m making this one for a boy,” James said. “It’s probably a boy who is my age, so I have a pretty good idea of what to put inside.”
James was with his younger brother and their mother during Aurora’s Give Back @ Your library program Dec. 10 at the central library branch at 14949 E. Alameda Parkway.
The volunteer program began November 2013 and has provided thoughtful presents like Veteran’s Day thank you notes and throughout the metro area each month since.
“It’s been a huge success — we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback both from the patrons that volunteer as well as the organizations that’s we’re partnered with,” said Sara Van Cleve, outreach and programming assistant at the Aurora Public Library. “We hope it will continue for a very long time. We’ve had a few volunteers who have been here for almost every event.”
James and his family have volunteered for the program a few times themselves. On the stocking-stuffer volunteer day, they riffled through hats, gloves, books, homemade cards, stuffed animals and candy canes.
The stockings are for children and teens whose families are clients of the Arapahoe County Human Services Department’s holiday Adopt a Family program.
The Adopt a Family program started 13 years ago when the human services staff in Arapahoe County decided to help the families they encounter who can’t afford Christmas presents.
The “adopted” families or individuals are sponsored through another family or business that receives a list of the adopted people’s needs and wants. The sponsors do their best to fulfill as many wishes as possible.
“Oftentimes, Arapahoe County Human Services gets people coming in all the way up until Christmas, asking ‘is there anything you can do for us,’ ” Van Cleve said. “So, this is what we can do for them to give their kids a little something for Christmas.”
This is the second year the library has rounded up volunteers to make back-up gifts. Last year, 200 stockings were delivered to the department. All materials for the program are either donated or paid for with funds.
“We feel very fortunate Aurora Public Library is thinking about our families in such a major way,” said Yvette Yeon, spokeswoman for the Arapahoe County Human Services department. “The service Aurora Public Library provides changes lives in children, allowing them to think better, dream bigger, create ideas that can change their lives.”
Yeon said that the department matched 1,099 adopted people and sponsors this year, including 343 families. She said the stockings will be delivered to the program’s late-comers up until Christmas. The library completed about 100 stockings this year.
“I just want my children to reach out to the community and learn that life’s not just about them, it’s about other people and serving and learning about other people,” said Sunshine Morgan, James’ mother. “It’s important to me that they know that there are people they can help, even in small ways.”
Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, mmitchell@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Mmitchelldp
Give back @ your library events
Sweet Treats for Seniors: 6 p.m. Jan. 7 at Central Library, or 4 p.m.
Jan. 13 at Tallyn’s Reach Library
Sending Love to Veterans: 6 p.m. Feb. 4 at Central Library, or 4 p.m.
Feb. 10 at Tallyn’s Reach Library
Info: Contact Sara Van Cleve at 303-739-6589
