Making Christmas happen all year long

Press Christmas for All is a registered 501 (c)3 nonprofit.

Now in its 36th year of helping lift up Kootenai County residents, we propose a slight adjustment to the name: Press Christmas for All Year.

Actually, that's what Maggie Lyons has been calling it for some time. Maggie is the founder of Charity Reimagined, and it is largely through her vision and her hard work that Press Christmas for All (Year) has shifted from holiday handouts to ongoing hands up.

Maggie is on a mission to reduce poverty in Kootenai County. Speaking bluntly, when we give a few bucks to someone at Christmas time, that makes us feel good, doesn't it? But what difference does it make in that person's life? And in the lives of those who might depend upon that person emotionally and financially?

It's our belief that making a lasting difference is the grandest goal — hence Press Christmas for All (Year).

Yes, your generous donations to the program will ensure that many of your less fortunate neighbors have something good to eat. Perhaps your kindness will ensure recipients can provide a happy Christmas for their children.

But helping people shrug off the shackles of poverty does not mean giving them a $25 gift certificate and expecting they'll make an abrupt departure from the poverty line. It means making sure their car is running so they can get to work and hold down a job. And you know, cars don't just break down at Christmas time. They break down throughout the year — and that's why Press Christmas for All (Year) needs to be ready to help when it's needed most.

Between now and Christmas Day, you'll be reading the stories of people who have been carefully vetted to receive your help. Each and every one is doing what they can to break through the thick ice of being poor. Your donations will help make that happen, one person and one family at a time.

And not just this season, but for all seasons.