Frequently Asked Questions
1. What happens to things left after the last family goes through the Cheer store?
The food pantries in the communities who helped collect goods are contacted and at the end of the program, each community takes a share of those goods back since the same families may need food assistance in the upcoming months.
2. What toys should I donate?
Only brand new toys with a $10 - $40 value. Nothing that hints at violence. We have a special section in our toy store for older teens so that might also be an option. Ace Hardware and Wal-Mart in Wauseon are Cheer partners and have drop-off boxes.
3. I got a form to participate and my neighbor didn’t. Why not?
Think of it as your lucky day if you get an invitation to participate.
4. I signed up but never got the letter to come to the fairgrounds to shop. Why?
Sometimes people are frustrated because they signed up but didn’t get the invitation to come to the fairgrounds. That could happen. If the form is not in the Pettisville P.O. Box 53237 by November 15th, the family is ineligible. Period. We can’t be responsible for the delays in forms getting to our Post Office Box.
5. How many people are served by Christmas Cheer?
Usually 650 families (about 1,500) people participate in the Fulton County Fairgrounds Christmas store. The volunteers in the furniture program log over 10,000 personal miles annually picking up and delivering furniture each year with about 35 home stops to pick up or deliver each week, and an average of 8 families get transportation through vehicles donated to Christmas cheer annually.
6. What if it’s bad weather on a day I said I’d work?
There is no possible way to contact all volunteers involved in the cheer give-away. So for any schedule changes volunteers are urged to listen to 96.1 fm WMTR, Archbold. And since we rely heavily on area high school students, a delayed start for schools might also mean a delayed start for Christmas Cheer.