The Montgomery Christmas Committee was very busy in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Nearly three hundred children within the school district received gifts and 175 dinner boxes were distributed. The organization is highly confidential and received recommendations of gift recipients that ranged in age from newborns to teenagers. In some cases, young people as old as eighteen can get gifts. A small mountain of new toys and other needed items were donated to the committee by local businesses, charitable organizations, and numerous private individuals. The committee also gave away some back packs, stocking stuffers, and winter accessories.

The dinner boxes contained everything needed for a full Christmas dinner and desert. If the meal was for an individual they received a ham as the main course; if the dinner was for more than one person, they received a turkey.

Nancy Gruver, who is the head of the committee said it was wonderful to see the way that so many people in the community come together to make the gift and dinner distribution a success. She said that no one ever refuses to help if they are asked to volunteer. She said, “It really is a good community.”

For Nancy herself, the committee is a time and a half job for about four weeks and she estimates that each year she works about 400-500 hours total. But she is a volunteer, so she does this work solely out of the goodness of her heart.

THOT “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Happy belated anniversary to Dennis and Nancy Gruver who celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary on December 30th. Happy birthday to Sue Byers who will be celebrating her special day on January 6.

If you are interested in joining the Montgomery Lions Club, please call Roger McRae at 570-971-2825.

If you would like a birthday, anniversary, or special event recognized in this column, please leave a message at The Luminary Office at 570-584-0111 or e-mail it to news@muncyluminary.com.

Montgomery events

Sun. Jan. 7 Montgomery’s Community Development Corps will be reorganizing with a focus on improving Montgomery Park. The first session will be held in the MVFC meeting room at 6:00 p.m. to elect officers, set an agenda, and establish a regular meeting schedule. Everyone is welcome to attend, but please don’t park directly in front of the fire hall.

Sat. Jan. 13 The Montgomery Area Historical Society will have an open house at the Adam Room on West Houston Avenue from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thurs. Jan. 18 The Montgomery Area Historical Society will be having a talk about the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in the Adam Room at 6:30 p.m. with an open house to follow. The organization was a popular one in town around the turn of the century, and the membership book featuring lots of Montgomery names will be on display.