Once again, the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and the Department of Health and Human Resources is teaming up with City National Bank and WV Radio’s Today’s 97.5 and 1340 WEPM to raise funds for the Christmas Cash for Kids program. The 2015 Christmas Cash for Kids campaign kicked off today and has a goal of raising $25,000 by the middle of December. With the theme of “every penny counts”, the campaign will educate our Eastern Panhandle community on how a “little change” from everyone can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors who are less fortunate.

Christmas Cash for Kids will be entering into its tenth Christmas season of assisting less fortunate families in making Christmas and the holidays possible for their children. The program is supported entirely by donations and local volunteers. Christmas Cash for Kids is an initiative of City National Bank, Today’s 97.5 and 1340 WEPM in collaboration with the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and the local Department of Health and Human Resources.

Christmas Cash for Kids was founded in December 2006 when the local Information and Referral Center received numerous phone calls several days before Christmas asking where they could obtain Christmas assistance for their children. These families did not have a need when Salvation Army, Community Ministries, and other organizations took Christmas applications in September and October. Layoffs or reductions in the number of hours worked created a situation where there was a real possibility their children would have no Christmas.

Christmas Cash for Kids serves children from birth to 16, providing Christmas gifts for their guardians to give them on Christmas day. The Christmas Cash for Kids program now serves Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan County, but all monies raised in each county will stay within families residing there.

The main objective of the Christmas Cash for Kids program is to provide Christmas gifts to children who otherwise may not receive anything for Christmas. From now through the beginning of December, pennies will be collected all over Berkeley County in various ways.

Classrooms to teach our children that everyone can make a difference – everyone can bring their pennies to school!

Businesses. . . it’s a fun easy way to raise money for a worthy cause. Employees can make a donation to “Dress Down” on the designated day of Nov. 30th.

Families. . . we invite any family in the area to start their own penny jar for Christmas Cash for Kids. Together you can save all the pennies you can for one month and turn them into City National at the beginning of December.

Visit the United Way of Eastern Panhandle’s website (www.uwayep.org/ donate) to make online donations, or stop by one of the participating businesses to donate. There will be multiple special events to collect coins and cash for the program throughout the next 30 days, such as the Boot Drive at the Martinsburg Mall and a Spirit Night at Chikfila! This year there will also be a new event held in conjunction with Mainstreet Martinsburg entitled “Jingle Downtown”.