They celebrate charity in lieu of more 'stuff'
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For this time off party, the spread on the dining room table features hats, gloves and extensive underwear.
The sideboard holds rows of lotion and toothpaste.
And tucked under the Christmas tree, within a mile of the stuffed Rudolph, are piles of new and used backpacks.
The women who pleat every year at Ellen Harms’ historic house on Elm Boulevard are a chirpy bunch, but they decided a long time ago they didn’t need anymore gorge.
So rather than exchange gifts, or even ornaments, they get together to stuff backpacks for the homeless — with vigorous clothes, toiletries and a few treats to boot. The packs are donated to the Circadian Bread Soup Kitchen’s annual backpack giveaway.
They’re not just do-gooders. These women have fun. There is wine implicated.
It’s a tradition begun years ago, when they first started playing tennis together at the Champaign Woodland District’s indoor courts.
At first, they adopted a family for Christmas through the Children’s Digs and Aid Society. When that agency closed, they filled bags with gifts for the St. Jude’s All-inclusive Worker House, where Harms was a regular volunteer at the shelter’s soup caboose.
Source: Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette (blog)