Community Christmas in Adna Benefits Children in Need

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The turnout for the first Community Christmas event held over the weekend at Red Barn Studios in Adna was great, according to organizers, allowing the duo to raise money for presents and warm clothing for less fortunate children in the community.

Their goal is to ensure no child goes without a present this Christmas, and thanks to the support, about 40 children in Lewis County will receive a present, a coat, a book and hopefully some rain boots as well.

The goal of the weekend event was twofold. Although helping families during Christmas time is a priority, the Community Christmas also helped spread the word about local vendors in the community.

“Our goal is to help the local businesses as well as the local vendors and help children in Lewis County because we know it’s such a deprived area,” Tessa Bradford, an organizer of the event, said. “We really want to support our local people — this is where we live, this is where we grew up and this is where my kids will grow up. The kids are important to us and we don’t feel like they should go without.”

A silent auction helped raise funds for the families that will be helped by the event. Organizer Shelliene Mann said they will be allocating about $40 per child who got nominated. 

“We want the kids to have what they need, but we also want them to open a present that they will really, really love,” she said. 



Each kid benefiting from the event turned in their “dream list” of presents. With the money raised, one nice gift will be purchased per child. Thanks to the donations of other toys, Mann said, they will be able to use the items as stocking stuffers as well. 

Nominations for those in need are being accepted until Dec. 10. Mann said they have room to help a few more children in the community. For those being nominated, Mann said, they ask families who are receiving help elsewhere, like from the Salvation Army, to not apply. That way they can help those that would otherwise have nothing.

For Bradford, the stress of the holiday seasons is one she knows well. As a single mom for 16 years, she said she was always able to pay the bills and buy groceries, but the holidays were a tough time.

“I get it, I understand,” she said. “I think that my drive is I’ve been there and I have local family, but a lot of people don’t have that local family so it’s really great to have something like this.”

The turnout for their first event was great, and Bradford and Mann are planning more events. They hope to do a backpack school supply drive either in the spring or summer to try to help the community. If all goes well, they will hold two events a year.