Fighting hunger one song at a time

By Cara Kelly

Another holiday season means finding the perfect present for loved ones. Although wide-eyed children may not always agree, giving a gift that makes a smile and warmth appear on a friend or relatives face is often the best part of the season.

For those who did not complete their shopping list during the chaos of “Black Friday,” the Hunger and Health Coalition has three gift ideas that will be sure to spread the feeling of love and gratitude that should be an intrinsic part of holiday celebrations.

In addition to being truly meaningful, gifts from the Hunger Co. are affordable and do not come complete with the guilt of materialism.

The Christmas in the Mountains CD Volume 2 features favorite Christmas carols performed by a variety of local artists, including Grammy-winner Doc Watson.

“When we started this, Crae Morton’s idea was just to have local musicians make a CD and feed the hungry, so we just took it and ran with it,” co-project coordinator Leslie Shavell said.

“We had so many local musicians come and ask if they could be on the CD, at this point, we already have nine songs on our next CD ready to go.”

Morton and Shavell worked together on the project, and are exceedingly pleased that the fruits of their labor can be found on sale at more than 70 locations in the High Country.

“This has become an absolute community project,” Shavell said. “We’d like to thank everyone involved.”

Shavell and Morton are pleased to announce sales are already exceeding those of last year, with many vendors needing stocks replenished before the beginning of December.

“With this kind of economy, when everybody is strapped for money, people are still buying the CD for themselves or gifts and helping the Hunger Coalition for very needy people. That is what this community is all about,” she said.

“These are the most generous people I have ever met in my life, and to me, that is the most important.”

Another great opportunity to give a gift of compassion is adopting a family through the Sharing Tree program. A holiday tradition for the Hunger and Health Coalition, the Sharing Tree links community members with families in need during the expensive holiday season.

“We have over 500 children and seniors who have signed up for help,” project coordinator Kim Winebarger said. “This is many more than we have had in previous years.”

Interested community members, church groups or clubs can chose a participating family to purchase gifts and food for, and deliver the items to the family in time for the holidays.

In addition to the Sharing Tree and Christmas CD, individuals can make contributions in memory of loved ones to honor the life of someone special with a unique and moving gift.

“With so many in our community struggling just to meet their basic needs, Christmas 2008 is the perfect time to give a charitable gift,” executive director Compton Fortuna said.

For more information, please contact the Hunger and Health Coalition at (828) 262-1628.