Christmas For Moore celebrates Christmas in July

Christmas in July may be the time for cozying up to watch holiday movies in the heat of summer, but it is also the time for Christmas For Moore, a local nonprofit dedicated to serving residents of Moore County in need during the holiday season, to begin its annual campaign for giving back to our Sandhills community.

Christmas For Moore board members Laurin Hardwick and Becca Scogin presented Team Workz, a nonprofit that also serves the Sandhills, by reaching out to the homeless community with a donation of $500 in Food Lion gift cards.

“Team Workz Homeless Organization is proud of this partnership with Christmas For Moore,” said Cliff Brown, director of the Team Workz program. “We provide homeless individuals and families in need with food, clothing, hygiene items, and more. These gift cards will help tremendously with those costs and provide meals to those who may not otherwise have food to eat.”

“This donation helps Christmas For Moore reach the neediest in our Moore County community who would otherwise not be able to register for our program and helps us kickoff the season of giving,” adds Laurin Hardwick, Christmas For Moore board member.

Christmas For Moore program registration for neighbors in need of assistance at Christmas time opens Aug. 1 online at the group’s website, www.christmas4moore.org/registration and ends Oct. 31. The group also has four in-person registration sites throughout Moore County in September, including:

Thursday, Sept. 7, from 4-7 p.m. at First Baptist Church Robbins, located at 651 E. Hemp Street, Robbins.

Tuesday, Sept. 12, from 5-7 p.m. at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, located at 1517 Luther Way, Southern Pines.

Saturday, Sept. 16, from 8:30-12 p.m. at New Covenant Fellowship, located at 1305 Hulsey Road, Carthage.

Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m.-noon at Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills, located at 160 Memorial Court, Southern Pines.

All program participants must provide proof of Moore County residency for both online and in-person registration sessions.

Christmas For Moore registers Moore County residents in need and matches them with local sponsors, who provide gifts of clothing, household items, food and toys based upon the applications completed by individuals and families. Those willing to sponsor program participants are encouraged to complete a sponsor form online at www.christmas4moore,org/sponsor.

Christmas For Moore board member Becca Scogin was first a sponsor of the program herself.

“It’s been such a blessing to our family and is something our children look forward to every year,” Scogin said. “They’re eager to participate and shop for the family but also to meet them and see the impact on other families who, for a variety of reasons, are experiencing financial hardships and need a little help over the holidays. It has made us feel even more connected to this special community we call home, and we all look forward to it every year!”

For more information on becoming a Christmas for Moore sponsor or volunteering, call 910-477-3355 or visit www.christmas4moore.org. To assist with a donation, checks may be mailed to Christmas for Moore, P.O. Box 3962, Pinehurst, N.C., 28374. All donations are tax-deductible.

Feature photo: Christmas For Moore board members Laurin Hardwick and Becca Scogin and their families present Team Workz director Cliff Brown with a $500 donation of Food Lion gift cards to help support the Moore County homeless community.

Courtesy photo/Contributed.