Hills generosity on the wane

By Jomay Steen, Journal Staff Writer | Sunday, December 14, 2003

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RAPID CITY -- For some, holiday giving is more than child's play.

Fostering a tender heart and a genuine Christmas spirit, 7-year-old Grace Weeks asked that her birthday guests donate their gifts to Toys for Tots.

In a heart-to-heart talk with her mother, Angelique Weeks, the Rapid City girl wanted to know if she could do something more for children who were less fortunate.

"She asked, 'Do you suppose kids in the hospital will get them?'" her mom said.

It was all part of a process to decide to give to area children who may be ill, whose families may be separated by the war or who simply are in need.

The Grandview Elementary School student invited a dozen friends to today's party, asking them to bring gifts wrapped in Christmas paper for either a boy or girl. Tags would indicate appropriate ages for the toy.

"I was so proud of her," Weeks said.

On Monday, Weeks said her daughter will present the gifts to a Marine and the local Toys for Tots organizer, Joni Mommaerts.

It's a boost to the charity that has been struggling for community donations.

"If a 7-year-old can do this, maybe it will pull at some heartstrings," Mommaerts said.

The Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots coordinator has had drop boxes placed throughout Rapid City since the first week of November. Concern mounted as, week after week, Mommaerts opened the boxes and found nothing.

"Things aren't going well, we don't have the donations we had last year," Mommaerts said.

Toys for Tots, a nationally recognized charity established in 1947, has been a part of the Black Hills community for years.

"Last year, we had a phenomenal amount of toys donated from the (Ellsworth Air Force) Base," Mommaerts said. "But with their loved ones gone, they're strapped, too."

A late Thanksgiving, a sluggish economy and maybe too many demands on an already overwhelmed budget might be some of the reasons for the hit in donations, she said.

But the Rapid City community has started something of a rebound, an anonymous cash gift of $500, 625 Beanie Babies dropped off at headquarters, a slew of refurbished bikes unloaded at Central States Fairgrounds and a dozen gifts from a child.

It all adds up.

"I'm still hoping we make it through the first weekend," she said.

The toy charity isn't alone.

Donations have fallen off for others as well.

The Salvation Army reports receiving only 12 percent of its $200,000 goal. Its Angel Tree and Red Kettle campaigns have been hit by lack of funds. Volunteerism for bell ringers has fallen as well.

Monica Leitheiser, interim director of Black Hills Regional Food Bank, is counting on the KOTA Care and Share food drive held Saturday to put the food bank back on track.

For its 19th annual food drive, they set goals for $50,000 and 175,000 pounds of food. They didn't meet earlier goals and were depending upon Saturday's effort.

"We're behind on the poundage of foods, but we're ahead on the money," Leitheiser said.

With the help of the Boys Scouts and the National Guard, the collection of canned goods and nonperishables were divided between the food bank and Church Response. The collection took place throughout the Black Hills area. The food collected in a community stays within its community, Leitheiser said.

Still, the reason for the lack of early contributions is elusive.

"I think it's the economy," she said. "I think people are struggling, and the cost of living continues to rise."

Although they're behind, Saturday's event brought in a lot of groceries, Leitheiser said. "We expect to catch up."

Last year, the group collected 101,605 pounds of food.

Dan Island, director of Cornerstone Rescue Mission, has noticed a delay in contributions. He can't put his finger on it whether it's too much demand for people's income by too many charities, a shorter Christmas season or the economy.

"We're at war. That probably has an effect. It wears on people," he said.

The mission received fewer contributions last year, and the trend is continuing, he said.

"We are about where we were last year," Island said.

Cornerstone Rescue Mission collects 50 percent of its budget during the Christmas season.

"We depend so much on faith. Very seldom do I get worried," Island said. "We're always in need of finances. There's never enough."

Guardian Tree, sponsored by South Dakota Social Services, has bucked the trend so far, according to organizers.

Chris Bryant, a Guardian Tree helper, said that although more teenagers are part of the program than ever before, people have been coming through.

"I think we're doing OK," she said.

With 265 members, the Guardian Tree has more children and teenagers than ever before. But the donations are coming in, Chris Bryant said. "We had better community response than we've had in the past," Bryant said.

The organization got the word out early, which helped bring in other resources, she said.

A few stores took lists of Guardian Tree names, put up their own trees and have brought the gifts back to social services offices, she said.

"We have the tree here in our lobby, and we seem to be doing OK."

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com