Homeless Children's Trust has fundraiser

The Homeless Children's Trust's Christmas party and back-to-school project are yearly traditions.

Supporters hope they started a new annual event Saturday night with a fundraiser concert for the organization.

The Homeless Children's Trust, affiliated with HACAP, relies entirely on donations from the community to provide homeless children with back-to-school supplies, presents for the holidays and meet other needs throughout the year.

The concert Saturday night at Old Brick included performances by Kevin "B.F." Burt and Kol Shira.

"It's an evening of quality for us ... taking care of a quality organization," Burt said during his set.

Event organizer Mary Larew said she's been working with the families -- parents and children who have spent time in one of the local homeless shelters -- for 20 years.

"From year to year, there are more and more kids that are in dire straits," she said.

The annual Christmas party at the Moose Lodge is a morning of entertaining the children with music, crafts and balloon animals while the parents get to shop for their children at Kmart. One of the best parts of the Christmas party is when the senior Hawkeye football players come in and autograph posters for the kids and parents, Larew said.

Funds raised at Saturday's event will go to the $50 gift cards that the mother or father receives for each child. While shopping, Kmart also helps the parents by giving them a 10 percent discount, Larew said.

"For most of them, this is the main thing they're going to get for Christmas," she said.

Just about everything is donated for the Christmas party, Larew said. Boxes will be set up around town around Nov. 15 for people to donate toys, mittens, games, books and other items -- the gifts Santa gives out during the Christmas party, she said.

"It's a wonderful community to live in when you have such support," she said.

Last year, 170 children were served thanks to the Homeless Children's Trust holiday party, she said. They cover children ranging in age from birth to 18, she said. Last year, 25 percent of the children they helped were teenagers, she said.

"The kids are just in seventh heaven when they leave the party," she said. "Everyone goes home happy."

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