Solicitation letters will be mailed in early December for this year’s Christmas Blessing Fund drive, according to Charles H. “Sonny” Richardson Jr., chairman of the Mathews Ruritan Club Christmas Blessing Fund.

Since 1931, the Mathews Ruritan Club has sponsored this program which gives assistance for winter heating bills for Mathews County residents. Last year, 131 families were provided assistance.

Nelda Gibbs will serve as Honorary Chairman for this year’s Christmas Blessing Fund. A Mathews County native, Gibbs has worked for the past 32 years for Mathews County Public Schools as Director of Food Services. For 24 years, she has been involved in the Child Nutrition Program. She also oversees the preparation for the Mathews Meals on Wheels program.

Nelda and her husband Stuart Gibbs live at Moon and have two sons—Patrick and Brandon, and one granddaughter, Gracie.

“Working with the Mathews County School Nutrition Program and Meals on Wheels, I realize the need for assistan...