News

Covid-19 may have cancelled several occasions in 2020, but local organization, Corning Cares didn’t allow a pandemic to stop Christmas for 76 area children during their “Shop with a Hero” event on Saturday, December 12. The annual event went off without a hitch although it wasn’t the usual Christmas shopping excursion that typically occurs. This year in order to keep everyone safe and healthy, the organization handed out gift cards. It wasn’t the preferred way the group’s organizers wanted to conduct the event, but it was the only responsible method to ensure the children received their gifts. Carla Price explained, “We just met at the community center and had some of the officials there; the police department and the sheriff’s department. And they met them out in the car and got the kids’ names and then took their gift certificates out to them. We sent so many to Dollar General, Harold Implement, Shabby Chic and 3 Little Monkeys. It went better than we expected. The guys and girls that all help us, they always have the best time shopping with these kids.” Corning Cares receives most of their children’s names from the Department of Human Services. Price helped to assigned gift cards to children according to the appropriate gender and age. “You never know which ones you’re going to get and what they want. Some of them surprise you, you know, what they do want. Well, we’ve had some that all they want-ed was food. Or we had one kid last year and all he wanted was a heater for his room. So, you know, it’s unique to see just what the different needs are. We just wish we could do more.”