Mission seeks help for distribution

STEUBENVILLE -- Like every other outreach, Urban Mission Ministries has morphed to meet COVID-19 safety guidelines this year, and the Christmas giveaway of toys and teen items will be different, too.

Preparations are under way for a drive-through distribution at the Seventh Street Plaza on Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for registered families, according to the Rev. Ashley Steele, the mission's executive director.

"What we've been communicating to our parents who will be participating in the distribution is that we're no longer doing a shopping experience where folks come in and pick out toys, due to COVID restrictions," Steele said. "What we're doing now is doing a drive-through toy distribution similar to what we do at the food distribution, but this time it will be Christmas gifts."

The decision was made recently in the wake of rising cases of COVID-19 in Jefferson County.

"We wanted to make sure that everybody was safe, and not only our volunteers and staff, but definitely the parents who would be coming in," Steele explained.

"Everybody has been very receptive to the change, and also thankful that we can still offer a Christmas toy distribution program," Steele said of the response from families being helped and a community interested in making that happen.

"What that means for us now is not only have we taken gift recommendations from our families to make sure that we are matching up appropriate gifts with age groups that will be going out for children, but we still have to go out and purchase items and get things wrapped up and bagged up and come up with our strategy of how we're going to actually do the distribution," Steele said Monday afternoon, admitting "a lot is happening this week."

The plaza location is being prepped for the distribution and already has received some donations of new and gently used toys, but it will only be open to staff and volunteers, Steele explained.

"That's where we'll be packing the bags that will go out to the families," she said.

The distribution will benefit more than 325 children and teens, the latter of whom will receive bags with personal hygiene items, for example, and gift cards.

"Some folks have already made up bags for us so we'll just continue to add things to those, but it will be the usual toiletries, smaller electronics and gift cards and we'll make sure that our teens are taken care of as well," she said. "We have a lot of fun stocking stuffers this year. We always are collecting more, but we think we have a pretty nice array of things to even include as stocking stuffers for both teens and children as well."

The public can help with the distribution by providing toys, items for the teen bags or donations of money, according to Steele.

"We are going shopping this week. Those who have already contributed financially, we'll be utilizing those funds to go out and purchase toys, but any type of financial donation will go toward the purchase of toys or toiletries and then also we'll be purchasing gift cards like we've done before to give to teens," Steele said. "I'm sure we'll have some bills after this week so financial donations would be a blessing. We usually just go out in faith and shop. We tend to have a budget but then we also know that if the need is greater, and we need to meet it, we'll just spend in faith and hopefully receive it back."

Financial donations can be made online to Urban Mission at its website, urbanmission.org, or by check to the mission at 311 N. Sixth St., Steubenville OH 43952.

Toys, teen toiletry items and gift cards can be dropped off at the plaza at Seventh and North streets or the warehouse at 311 N. Sixth St. They also can be purchased online through the Urban Mission's Amazon.com Christmas Wish List.

"I know it's been harder with COVID precautions, and people might not feel as comfortable going into the stores to purchase things, but we always love when people make up the teen stockings and different bags, because it's a personalized touch, and some people even put notes in there and letters of encouragement, so those are nice things and add a personal touch," Steele said.

The coronavirus pandemic creates challenging circumstances for the mission.

"We have learned all year that we have to bring our most flexible selves to this ministry, no matter whether it's at our shelter or food warehouse and now for Christmas," she said.

"I am so thankful that our staff is just willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that the community gets served," Steele said. "We have been very mindful to make sure that the things that we do are safe and welcoming. Still, trying to find that balance has been a challenge, but we're only able to do it by God's grace always."

The community has been supportive and adaptive during the process, according to Steele.

"They've moved with us, they've adapted with us, they've come up with creative solutions to help us figure out how to do certain things, and so it really has been a collective effort this entire year to figure out how we serve people to the best of our ability," Steele said.

Questions about the mission's Christmas needs and distribution can be directed to Cynthia Lytle, program director and community developer, at (740) 282-8010 or clytle@urbanmission.org

(Kiaski can be contacted at jkiaski@heraldstaronline.com.)