SALEM, Va. – The Community Christmas Store of the Roanoke Valley is launching an online auction on Friday at 5 p.m., with all proceeds benefiting the group’s mission to provide holiday assistance to local families in need.
The auction, running through Dec. 2 at 8 p.m., features items ranging from designer bags to Rail Yard Dawgs tickets. All proceeds will support the nonprofit’s efforts to provide qualified families with approximately $150 worth of free clothing, toys, and food during the holiday season.
“We are in great need this year as we are serving more families than we have in a very, very long time with fewer resources, with things being more expensive than they’ve been in the past,” says Bethany McAteer, co-president of the Community Christmas Store of the Roanoke Valley.
The Community Christmas Store of the Roanoke Valley has been serving the community since 1993. The nonprofit has served more than 20,000 people living in Salem, Roanoke County, Vinton, and Craig County.
The organization expects to serve 430 families this year, including over 500 children under the age of 12. This represents an increase from last year, when they assisted nearly 400 families, with 240 of those families earning between $11,000 and $30,000 annually.
“This time of the year is a great time to give back and we just love it when they come through and we see the joy on their face that they’re gonna be able to have a toy or an outfit or something that they weren’t expecting to have,” said Angie Apgar, vice president of the Community Christmas Store of the Roanoke Valley.
The Community Christmas Store of the Roanoke Valley operates like a department store, allowing qualified families to select their own items. This approach allows families to choose what items they want.
How to Help
The organization has set multiple fundraising goals:
- Online auction that will be live tonight at 5 p.m.
- Giving Tuesday campaign on December 2, with a goal of raising $10,000.
- Year-round donations and volunteer opportunities. The group said it needs food as well.
The families receiving items from the non-profit this year have already been selected.
They can come in and select what they want December 11-13.