Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The Mathews County Social Services Christmas store was held Dec. 13 and 14 at Kingston Parish. Peggy Hudgins, vice chair of the Social Services board, served as the manager of this project. The monetary and other donations from individuals and organizations throughout the community exceeded those of past years, allowing for purchases of gifts that filled the school bus and the trucks and made for a very full Christmas Store display.

Thanking the volunteers and those who donated to this annual project is always both a challenge and a joy. A challenge because there are too many to name without leaving someone out and they all played an important role in the program. A joy because there are so many civic groups and individuals who care enough to set aside their own hectic schedules at this time of year to make sure those less fortunate have a special day on Christmas. To put it in perspective, a total of 97 volunteers worked for 957 hours t...