Brownstown Christmas Cheer gives back for another year

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BROWNSTOWN — Volunteers with a Brownstown charity group came together for another holiday season to make sure families that are part of the Brownstown Central Community School Corp. district are taken care of for Christmas.

Brownstown Christmas Cheer has been around for nearly 50 years and is made up of community volunteers who partner with faculty and students from Brownstown schools.

On Thursday and Friday, volunteers gathered at Brownstown Christian Church to create gift baskets of food items and canned goods.

In November, letters are sent to local organizations, churches and businesses asking for donations and the names of families that might need help from the Christmas drive.

Committee member Bill Fowler said he has volunteered for 24 years. He said Brownstown is a great community to live in, and he keeps coming back every year to help because it’s the right thing to do.

“It has been better and bigger every year,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

Fowler’s daughter, Renata Faust, helped Thursday and said she has volunteered with the group since 2017. She said it feels awesome to be able to help.

Brownstown Central High School teacher Blake Hackman has his students and FFA members take time out of class every year to help the cause.

Junior Oakley Sawyers said it was nice to use his welding class time for a day to help others.

“I like that class in general, so doing this is just an added-on bonus,” he said.

Senior Brayden Millick organized boxes of canned foods and said he participated in the Christmas drive last year.

“It’s always nice to give back to people who can’t get as much,” he said.

Brownstown Elementary School students collect canned food donations every year to be donated to the charitable organization. This year, they collected 7,546 cans.

The Brownstown Central Middle School Tribal Council also raises money every year to buy toys for local families. This year, they raised more than $7,000, a record year, and purchased 1,334 toys for 228 children.

Christmas Cheer committee members will deliver the toys and food to families after they are all packaged.

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