WESTSIDE — A community of nurses, teachers and counselors are there to help when a child lacking proper clothing or having hygiene needs walks through the doors of a school in the Eagle Observer coverage area, and readers can help in that effort.

The annual Community Christmas Card sponsored by NWA Mediagives readers a chance to donate and help school districts provide basic needs. Money from the campaign will support the local districts in their efforts to help students with medical needs, food, school supplies, hygiene needs, clothing and mental-health resources.

The readers of NWA Media’s newspapers have given hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to help an untold number ofchildren by placing their name on the Community Christmas Card.

For each $2 donation, newspapers will publish a name in a fullpage Community Christmas Card that will be published Christmas day in the local dailies and the week of Christmas in the company’s weekly newspapers.

Contributors can designate the school district to which they wish their donation sent. It is a gift thatgives long after the lights and ornaments are packed away following the holiday season. A total of $26,917 was contributed last year and distributed to school districts across northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 31.

“The Community Christmas Card is one of the most fulfilling projects we do. By providing a chance for our readers to directly help at-riskchildren in our schools, our company participates in establishing an important bond between the community and these struggling families,” said Rusty Turner, editor and publisher of the local dailies operated by NWA Media. “When times are tough, like they are now, the money that goes to programs like the Community ChristmasCard is all the more vital. Our readers have never failed to meet the challenge of offering a hand to kids who really need it.”

Donations must be received by noon Dec. 23 to be listed by name on the Christmas Card. Donations can be mailed to Community Christmas Card, Westside Eagle Observer, P.O. Box 640, Gravette, AR 72736. Contributions mayalso be dropped off at any NWA Media newspaper office or mailed directly to Community Christmas Card, Northwest Arkansas Media, P.O. Box 7, Springdale, AR 72764.

NWA Media partners with Springdale’s EndeavorFoundation to collect and distribute the Community Christmas Card donations. Each contribution is tax deductible. NWA Media pays the processing fees for the donations so 100 percent of the money collected can be distributed to the schools.

News, Pages 1 on 11/30/2011