Thanksgiving is now just a week away and this means the holiday season is in full swing in Albany and Clinton County.

What has now become a community wide tradition to assist those less fortunate at the most giving time of year is also now in full gear, as the “Christmas At Home” project makes its eight annual run this fall.

The annual drive is a city and county-wide effort to collect food and new toys to be distributed to individuals and families in need of a helping hand during the Christmas season. Items are currently being collected and will be distributed to households across the county prior to Christmas day.

According to event coordinator Pam Allred, owner of WANY radio station in Albany and the person responsible for initiating the program, the event began small its first year but has grown almost annually in the number of donations collected, and in turn, the numbers of households, families and children who have benefited over the years.

The event takes a lot of work and a lot of individuals and groups participating to make it an annual success and each year the community has shown its willingness to lend a helping hand to those in need.

During the annual food and toy drive, individuals, groups, organizations, businesses and churches are urged to collect food and new toys for families and children to receive prior to Christmas. Several of the aforementioned are already working to do just that, with collection boxes being placed in various locations and churches throughout the community.

The toy collections began the weekend of the Foothills Festival in mid-October when local drag racers collected over 20 toys in the first annual Racing for Toys drive.

In 2010, over 30 churches, businesses and organizations participated in collecting food and toys and Allred hopes the number may even grow some this year. She said she already had a few new businesses and organizations to show interest in participating this year.

Another group with local ties, The Dale Hollow Yacht Club, collected several toys durig events held by the organization this past summer and fall, and made a delivery this week to the Clinton County News. A separate photo and article appears on this page.

Several churches have already begun collecting food and toys are already being dropped off at the current drop-off locations at city hall, Clinton County News, the radio station and Save-A-Lot. And, there will be a few more places where collection boxes will be placed as the weeks go along.

Save-A-Lot and churches are primary drop-offs for non-perishable food, but new toys won’t be turned down at any location.

Last year, approximately 237 homes were assisted, including over 450 children.

The event is sponsored annually by the City of Albany, Clinton County Fiscal Court, Chamber of Commerce, WANY and Clinton County News.

Allred noted this past weekend that she’s already had several individuals call to volunteer to help in actually boxing up the items that will be distributed. All items, food and toys, should be dropped off by December 15 and they will be delivered to homes between December 19 and 22.

Toys and food are distributed to those families and children on the “Wish List” by city and county employees, who also volunteer their time to box up the items that have been collected up to time of delivery.

Anyone who knows of an individual or family who could benefit from the Christmas At Home program should contact Albany City Hall at 387-6011 or WANY at 387-5186. Callers should be able to supply the number of people in the household, the sex and age of the children in the household and a physical address of the persons to be helped so volunteers can assure the items are delivered to the right place in a timely manner prior to Christmas.

For more information on the food and toy drive, or to volunteer or participate in collecting items, contact Allred at WANY or call or stop by Albany City Hall.