LUMBERTON — Registration will be held on Monday at the Robeson County Department of Social Services for those wishing to benefit this year from the Empty Stocking Fund, and money to provide vouchers for qualifying children will begin being collected the same day at The Robesonian.
On that day only, applications will be taken from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DSS building, which is on N.C. 711 just west of Interstate 95. Money can be donated at The Robesonian office at 2175 Roberts Ave. from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and continuing through Thursday, Dec. 21.
The fund has provided for more than two decades a $50 voucher to each child that can be used to purchase Christmas gifts, this year at Roses in Lumberton or Roses in Fairmont. If enough money is raised this year, the decision has been made to bump the voucher to $60, but that decision will be made after the children are registered and will be based on the number.
This year the age of eligibility will be raised to between up to 15 years of age.
The decision to raise the age and perhaps the voucher amount is because there is a balance of $12,196.30 that remains from last year. During what was expected to be a tough year, donations poured in from across the country in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, resulting in the best year ever for the fund with $85,899.80 raised — $19,007.71 more than the previous year’s record total. The fund in 2016 provided gifts for 1,718 children, all of those deemed eligible.
DSS officials as well as The Robesonian want to make sure that money is put to the use it was intended and not sit in a bank account.
Applicants must present a photo ID and provide Social Security numbers for all children who may receive vouchers, as well as verification of household income. Families who benefited from the fund during 2016 are not eligible to receive help this year.
Money to pay for the vouchers is raised each year by The Robesonian, which has participated in the effort for about 37 years, during which about $1.4 million has been raised to provide poor children Christmas.
The newspaper will publish photographs with donations of $500 or more, but cannot guarantee the photograph will appear on Page 1A. To enhance the chance of that happening, get your donation in as soon as possible.
Donations can be mailed to c/o Empty Stocking Fund, 2175 Roberts Ave., Lumberton, N.C., 28358., or hand delivered to our office. Ask for Tammy or Amanda at the front desk.