Christmas Stocking Fund gears up for another year of holiday cheer

For 35 years, many of Kernersville’s children and families have been able to wake up on Christmas Day to the joy of seeing what is under the Christmas tree and feasting on a special meal thanks to the generosity of community members whose donations make the annual Kernersville Christmas Stocking Fund possible.

The Kernersville Christmas Stocking Fund was an idea of former Kernersville Moravian Church Pastor Truman Dunn, who was interested in community mission work.

He sat down with the late John Owensby, who was publisher and managing editor of the Kernersville News, and they got it started.

The Kernersville Christmas Stocking Fund is now co-sponsored by Kernersville Moravian Church and the Kernersville News.

The Kernersville Christmas Stocking Fund is solely funded through the generosity of individuals and local businesses, said Tammy Slate, chair for the Kernersville Christmas Stocking Fund.

“Every dollar received goes to the recipients, and the number of donations determines the number of families and children who are helped,” Slate said.

“For years the campaign was dedicated to to Ed Fisher, a longtime Kernersville Moravian Church member and Christmas Stocking volunteer. Ed Fisher and his wife, Louise, loved to dress up as Santa’s helpers and entertain children on distribution day.”

Slate said that each year, the Fishers worked together to notify Kernersville-area churches that it was Christmas Stocking time again and to collect donations.

“Ed’s outreach to the area churches helped to create a unified spirit of donations to benefit the children of Kernersville,” she said.

Slate said that while the Kernersville Christmas Stocking Fund is run through Kernersville Moravian Church and the Kernersville News, the organization belongs to the community.

“The organizers are the facilitators, but the program is successful because there is a community-wide effort made to support the program,” she said.

Former longtime chair of the Kernersville Stocking Fund Suellen Thompson added that the need in Kernersville is great.

“Four out of six elementary schools in Kernersville are Title I schools, as well as one middle school. These schools have a high percentage of children from low-income families,” Thompson said. “Kernersville schools serve many children who suffer from food insecurities. Churches in the community help serve these hungry children by filling backpacks full of food for weekend consumption. The generosity of our community is wonderful and it makes me proud to see how people take care of one another in this town.”

Only Kernersville residents (living in the 27284 ZIP code) in need are eligible to apply. Interviews are held in October, and applicants are notified in November if they qualify. Approved families are invited to the church on a specific day in December to receive a grocery gift card. Families will also receive a gift card for children 14 and under from a local merchant.

Kernersville Christmas Stocking Fund organizers are urging residents to reach into their hearts and pockets this year to help provide needy families with the means to celebrate their own merry Christmas. Slate said that this year the goal is to raise at least $50,000.

Slate said there is no cut-off for when contributions can be sent. Anything donated after the date of the distribution will go toward next year’s Christmas Stocking Fund, and 100% of money and other items donated to the Christmas Stocking Fund are used for the families.

“We cannot do this without the help of the community,” she said. “We appreciate your contributions to sharing Christmas joy with these families and their children.”

Donations to Kernersville Christmas Stocking Fund should be sent to Kernersville Moravian Church, 504 S. Main St., Kernersville, NC 27284.