Holiday Giving: Affton Chamber Filled Wish Lists of 11 Needy Families

For the 14th year, the Affton Chamber of Commerce and their members gave a helping hand to families living in 63123.

In 2011 the holiday wish lists of 11 families were referred to the chamber, and all were adopted by local businesses and residents. According to a press release, the chamber estimates that members spent more than $2,000 to fill these wish lists.

In addition to this, the chamber received more than $1,000 in cash donations from members and raised more than $1,000 from the admission money at their community expo in October and from the Silent Auction at their November trivia night.

This year the chamber helped 18 adults and 22 children in the 11 families referred by Affton churches and schools.

The adopted families received many of the items on the wish lists they provided to churches and schools when they had asked for help. The chamber included gift cards from Shop 'N Save on Lindbergh Boulevard, Save-A-Lot on Reavis Barracks Road, and Sam’s Club in Crestwood. Some families also needed help with utility bills, and both the chamber and individual members helped with more than $1,500 in payments on Ameren UE and Laclede Gas bills.

The names of the families are kept in confidence and shared only with the chamber members who are delivering the gifts, but according to the chamber release, the families were very appreciative and many sent thank you notes to the chamber, which were shared anonymously with the board members and the businesses and residents who adopted the families. In some past years, some of the parents have remarked that without all the gifts for the children, there would be nothing under the Christmas tree.