The Christmas season is a time of celebration and giving. Starting Thursday, Pearl River County residents have another chance to donate toys to needy children served by the Crossroads Food Pantry through the Picayune Veterinary Clinic. All of the toys collected will benefit roughly 20 children ranging in age from 7-weeks to 16-years.

“We hope to lift the spirits of the families we serve with these toys and donations and give them a holiday to remember,” Director of Crossroads Food Pantry Sharon Bonnecarrere said. “To us, it is more than giving these kids a toy to play with, it’s showing them that they live in a community that cares for them.”

Crossroads Food Pantry is also accepting monetary donations and gifts that are on these family’s wish lists, including diapers, clothes, toys and more.

This will be the third consecutive year the Picayune Veterinary Clinic has hosted a toy drive to help the clients of Crossroads Food Pantry and every year they see an increase in donations Candice Burge, Picayune veterinary clinic office manager, said.

“We just love to help out our community any way we can. It might not seem like a lot, but to them it means the world and if we can change the fortune of just one child’s Christmas then we are happy,” Candice Burge, Picayune veterinary clinic office manager, said.

Those that donate a toy worth $10 or more will get 10 percent off their next annual visit with the veterinary clinic. For those that are not a customer, Burge said the doors will still be open for anyone that chooses to donate toys.

“We are all put on this Earth to help our fellow men, women and children through the light of God. No matter what denomination, we should all come together and help one another, especially during this time of year,” Bonnecarrere said.

The Picayune Veterinary Clinic toy drive will last until Dec. 13.

Also, for the second consecutive year, Crossroads Food Pantry is collecting Christmas donations for the senior citizens they serve.

“Some of the seniors either do not have families or their families are far away and they end up celebrating the holiday alone. We just want to be there for them with a gift and a smiling face so they, too, can enjoy this wonderful time,” Bonnecarrere said.

At the end of the toy drive, the Crossroads Food Pantry will have a Christmas party for the children at the New Henleyfield Southern Baptist Church. Bonnecarrere’s goal is to have one present for each of the children to open at the party and even more to take home.

To donate items to the food pantry, contact Bonnecarrere at 504-427-3023. Crossroads Food Pantry is located at 176 Old Crossroads West, Poplarville. Learn more about the pantry through their website at www.crossroadsfoodpantry.com, where a link to donate money is also available.