Generosity and goodwill is gleaming in the City of Clearlake. With Christmas just around the corner, many are working selflessly to bring holiday cheer to all the boys and girls of the area.
Local business owner Jeri Spittler is making sure no children are forgotten this Christmas. She has initiated a project that focuses on teenagers to ensure that they, too, feel joy this holiday season.
For many years, Spittler has contributed to the happiness brought to local children at Christmas time. “Eight years ago I bought 200 stockings. My friends and I filled them for Christmas and then we donated them to our community. Our numbers grew until we were stuffing 900 stockings,” Spittler explained.
Through her efforts, which she has come to name “The Joshua Project” in memory of her late son, Spittler realized that there was an important age group being overlooked by the various programs serving the community during the holidays. “The last two years we stuffed 75 stockings for teens and through this we realized that teens, age 13 to 17, had been forgotten. Toys, toys, toys, that”s all we heard.” Spittler continued, “So, in January 2006 I made the decision to focus on the teens in our community.”
This year, The Joshua Project is stuffing 300 gift bags for Lake County teenagers. “The stockings just weren”t big enough,” Spittler said, adding that the generosity of the community has been overwhelming. Dennis Darling, owner of Foods, Etc. grocery store in Clearlake, donated 150 canvas bags and the other 150 were donated by Spittler”s longtime friend and accountant Marlene Wentz. Spittler then turned to the community to help fill those bags, which resulted in a tremendous outpour of generosity. “This is our community taking care of itself,” she said. “There is so much negativity about (Clearlake) and it”s so wrong. This is a great community and the people here really care.”
Proof of Spittler”s statement can be seen in the bags completed for the project, which are piled high at her shop, Girlfriends Beauty Parlor and Fitness Center. They are literally overflowing with gifts perfect for any teenage girl or boy. The bags include gifts such as beauty and bath products, bath towels, T-shirts, socks and sweatpants, school supplies, Christmas candy and much more. Each of the bags also include a personal CD player. Spittler is particularly impressed that the bags were filled with the caring generosity extended by members of the community ? and not by corporate sponsors.
“Friend after friend, person after person heard about this project and came forward to help,” Spittler boasted. “One morning just after opening my business, Judge Freeborn walked in and asked for 10 bags. He said his wife Kathy sent him.”
Soroptimist International of Clearlake stepped forward and filled 40 bags. The remaining 250 were filled by various individuals from throughout the community. “The people in the City of Clearlake have really stepped up to the plate, dug deep into their pockets and generously filled all the bags,” Spittler said overwhelmed with enthusiasm. “I feel very proud to live in such a wonderful place. Merry Christmas!”
Spittler is extremely pleased that The Joshua Project will not only serve children throughout the community, but also youngsters in juvenile hall. “These are our high risk teens who need to know the most that someone cares about them.” Spittler continued, “I had the opportunity to meet one of our teen recipients who was in juvenile hall last Christmas. She said her mother had visited her every [allowable] visit but most of the teens never got a family visit and that the gifts had made a huge difference for many of the teens.”
Lake County Family Resource Center, Lake County Probation Department and Child Protective Services will also receive gift bags from The Joshua Project this year.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
