Warming hearts — and toes, too

Thumbs up to everyone who donated money for the Warm Hearts Warm Toes project organized by Becca Hattabaugh of Brownstown and her mother, Becky Wilson of Seymour. The 10th annual project resulted in 101 pairs of shoes and socks being distributed to students attending Brownstown Elementary School and Brownstown Central Middle School and another 57 pairs of shoes and socks given to elementary and middle school students at Crothersville Community Schools. The effort received the support of Society of St. Vincent de Paul, The Peoples Bank and individual contributions of money.

Continuing care

Thumbs up to Gary and Karen McDonald of rural Seymour who have continued the work of Red Sky Rescue after founder and director Ruth Riley moved to Florida when she sold her property in the Medora area. The nonprofit organization offers a safe haven for stray and abandoned animals and provides them with food, shelter and medical care in Jackson County. The McDonalds continue to care for about 40 dogs and 40 cats while trying to find them forever homes.

Feeding a need

Thumbs up to the congregations of New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Brownstown and Community Church Brownstown and the volunteers who joined them as they delivered and served 832 Thanksgiving meals throughout the county Nov. 23. A related thumbs up to members of The Alley for providing 300-plus meals on Thanksgiving Day to those in need, including those at the Jackson-Jennings Community Corrections Work Release Center in Seymour. Both projects took plenty of people willing to give of their time and donations from individuals, churches, businesses and others.

Global gifts of love

Thumbs up to everyone who purchased and filled shoeboxes for the annual Operation Christmas Child project, including members of Seymour First Baptist Church, Honeytown Christian Church, Tampico Baptist Church and many other churches and individuals. The drop-off site at Medora Wesleyan Church received 516 shoeboxes, while the drop-off site at Cornerstone Community Church in Seymour collected 1,966. Operation Christmas Child is a project of the international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse that sends millions of Christmas gifts to children around the world.