CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Borough Police Department and the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc. first partnered in 2016 to create “Giving Trees” for area elderly and are again teaming up to spread some holiday cheer this season.
Elderly citizens in the Clearfield area, many of them living alone with no close family members or no family at all, and grandchildren living with grandparents that are receiving services from the agency could benefit greatly from a small act of kindness.
Last year, many individuals and organizations came together to provide truckloads of gifts and financial assistance for heating and medical needs.
More than $14,000 was collected and sent directly to local fuel and utility suppliers to ensure area seniors were warm in their own homes last winter.
The police department and the Area Agency on Aging are partnering with Family Dollar Store, Spanky’s Courthouse Café and Joseph & Elizabeth Shaw Public Library of Clearfield, South Side Subs of Curwensville and Leyo’s Supermarket of Coalport to host the trees.
The employees of CNB Bank, PennDOT and Mid Penn Bank will also have their own trees and collect internally.
Tags will be hung on Nov. 21, at all locations. From Nov. 21 through Dec. 10, trees will be available at Family Dollar in Clearfield, Shaw Public Library and Spanky’s Courthouse Café’, in Clearfield, as well as South Side Subs of Curwensville, and Leyo’s Supermarket of Coalport.
The Giving Trees will meet the needs of many senior citizens and grandchildren of grandparents raising them around the area.
Individuals are welcome to take a card, purchase and wrap the needed items on the card, and drop off the items and the card at either the Clearfield Borough Police Station on North Front Street, Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, Inc., located on 116 S. Second St., Clearfield or 600 Cooper Rd., Curwensville, or one of the above-mentioned businesses hosting a tree. Everyone is encouraged to participate and help someone in need this holiday season.
Again, this year a “Giving Tree Fund” at Mid Penn Bank, will be available. Anyone wishing to donate to assist the elderly with fuel/utility costs (heating assistance, water bills, etc.) this holiday season can drop off a check made out to “Giving Tree Fund” at the Mid Penn Bank office in Clearfield.
Receipts will be available for tax purposes. The money collected will then be evenly distributed among those elderly needing this service, free of any administrative charges.
Programs and services of the agency are funded, in part, by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, Inc., Mature Resources Foundation and local and consumer contributions.