Helping hands make a child's Christmas more merry

A Dayton Elementary School counselor has joined with the school's teachers to help make a merrier Christmas for needy students.

For the second year in a row, Tanya Edmondson is running Helping Hands, a project where community members who want to help brighten a child's Christmas can select a child to buy presents for.

People interested in participating can come by the school and choose a child from slips of paper on Edmonson's door. Or they can call the counselor and she will give them the child's information over the phone.

The project begins Monday and will end Dec. 14, and includes students from Dayton, Stagecoach and Mound House.

"We are trying to take care of siblings, also," she said. "Sometimes a family that has kids in school may have a 4-year-old at home."

Edmondson said the children's profiles will include their gender, age, what clothing items they need and what toy they would like to have for Christmas. She added there is no limit on how much a donor can spend on a child or child's family.

"Our principal adopted a whole family," she said. "It's totally up to them. They can purchase everything or they can purchase one thing."

n Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 351.

You can help

To join the Helping Hands effort, call Tanya Edmondson at 246-6262.