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[music] [Woman tying a bow around presents and shots
of volunteers sorting gifts]
>> MARY: Hi, I'm Mary. I'm a volunteer at Neighbors. Santa doesn't stop at every household so
the elves from Neighbors help out a good deal.
[More than 1,000 families were helped by Neighbors' 2012 Holiday programs]
[University of Minnesota Gopher basketball players sign basketballs as gifts for Neighbors'
Adopt A Family program]
CHS was here with 200 toys just yesterday; Thompson Reuters has brought truckloads of
toys.
[Volunteers unload a truck full of holiday toys]
You're never too young to help out at Neighbors. A young woman who's a sophomore at South Saint
Paul high school came with a brilliant idea, which was a style show. She raised 500 pounds
of food for the Neighbors food shelf and several hundred dollars in cash.
[pause]
And you can never bee too old at Neighbors. Betty is a 92 year old great grandmother who
found time in her life to knit dozens of pairs of slippers to warm the cold toes of children
in the neighborhood's community. Neighbors also sponsors and hosts events of our own.
The Saint Paul Hotel has warmly invited Neighbors for a showing of It's A Wonderful Life radio
program. This year, Neighbors raised over $5,000 from generous volunteers and friends
of Neighbors. Another tradition is participation in the Walk To End Hunger. This is an annual
event at the Mall Of America in which thousands of local people walk the Mall united in their
effort to end hunger in our community. Imagine being a school teacher and having to find
out that one of your students was homeless and living out of a car and after some research
finding out that more of your students were in the same situation. The teachers, students
and staff at Inver Grove Heights Middle School for the past six years have raised over $10,000
for Neighbors to help families in their community. Some of these families may have children who
are their own classmates. Congratulations to Inver Grove Heights students!
[Volunteers fold clothing donated to the Neighbors Clothes Closet]
Neighbors actually runs on the work and the help and the time of volunteers, who bring
time and heart to the effort. We want to thank all of them for the hours they spend during
the year. Neighbors is able to help others because they are able to help Neighbors. And
we wish them all a very happy holiday season. Thank you.
[music] [With the help of its volunteers, Neighbors,
Inc. will strive to reduce poverty, promote self sufficiency, and build community. neighborsnews.org]