Pick a Christmas Starfor county's needy kids

With the Christmas season just around the corner, Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services is coordinating holiday assistance programs for the county's needy families.

They are accepting referrals of families needing extra assistance during the holiday season due to job loss or other difficult circumstances. Children ages 17 and under are eligible for the Stars Program. All names will be confidential.

Those wishing to help can participate in the "Pick a Star" program. Special trees with stars will be placed at the Bank of America, Bank of the Pacific and the Rosburg Store. Each star has the age and sex of a needy child, with two or three of the child's Christmas gift wishes such as clothing or toys. Participants may buy one or more of the gifts and drop them off at the location where the star was picked up or to Janelle at the sheriff's office along with the original star by December 17. The gifts may be wrapped.

Star program workers will deliver the gifts on December 18. Unwrapped gifts to "fill in" can also be donated and all the gifts are tax-deductible.

Donations to the food bank can be dropped off or sent to Wahkiakum Food Bank, P.O. Box 516, Cathlamet or Helping Hand, P.O. Box 547, Cathlamet.

Human Services maintains an emergency fund which is used throughout the year to provide emergency assistance with things such as medications, utility bills, and gas vouchers. Tax-deductible contributions can be sent to Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services, 42 Elochoman Valley Road, Cathlamet, WA 98612.

To refer needy families or for further information about the holiday assistance program, contact Janelle at the sheriff's office at 795-3243; Mary Watkins, Stars Coordinator at 795-3341; or Mary Vik at Health and Human Services, 795-8630.