Larry Forsyth and Lloyd Appell were busy dolling up the wooden Christmas trees and ornaments used by South County Community Services (SCCS). The display honors the names of people who are remembered by a donation given to the agency. The two handy men have worked to mend, brighten and assemble the symbolic trees for installation at Market Place right after Thanksgiving.
The South County staff once again invited donors in the community to help those in need while honoring a loved one during the holiday season. The ornament purchase will be used to help South County families with food stability, medication, home heating, utilities, transportation, and eviction prevention during the holidays and throughout the months ahead.
Thanks to the support through the tree of lights, SCCS is able to help their families with:
• Holiday food boxes and basic household supplies
• Family friendly parties with Santa
• Family adoptions in partnership with individuals and faith groups who work hard to add a little joy and grace to the holiday season
The tree of life for the agency was once a real Christmas tree at the Vicksburg Community Center. When the agency moved its offices, there wasn’t room for a giant tree to hold the many ornaments which included the names of people being honored. That’s when Lloyd Appell stepped in to make the three wooden trees and specially designed ornaments. Two of the trees are set up at the corner of Kalamazoo and E. Prairie Streets. The third tree is close to the entrance of the agency’s front door on the Marketplace side.