The Early
Years
The
first mention of what is now Christmas Unlimited was in the December 16, 1923
edition of the Gazette Telegraph. The article started with a verse presumably
written by the author:
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“Givers
and getters and old St. Nick letters,
And all the Christmastide causes;
Here’s to the painters, the stitchers, repairers,
The women who play Santa Clauses.”
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The
article reports that in a loft at the Newton Lumber Yard a group of
Santa-minded citizens is repairing dolls, putting puzzles together and painting
various donated items. They conduct this beehive of activity under the auspices
of the Mrs. Santa Claus Club. Mrs. Russell Law is putting puzzles together.
Painting sleds are Mrs. Robert Sims, Mrs. Edward Honnen and Mrs. J.A. Wenk.
Mrs. Frank Perkins, Mrs. Philip Nelson and Mrs. Walter Wilson “perform surgical
operations on injured dolls.” Mrs. Ripley and daughter Dorothy put clothes on
them.
Four
Columbia “schoolboys”, Forest Smith, Mervin Zigler, Richard Burt and Daniel
Santry are repairing wagons. Mrs. Walter Druehl, Mrs. Joseph Caldwell and Mrs.
Porterfield repair picture books. Handling the collection of donations and
discovering families needing help are Mrs. W.M. Wilson, Mrs. Marta Pribble,
Mrs. Philip Nelson, Mrs. Herbert Lennox and Mrs. Floyd Padget.
These
pioneers in volunteerism set in motion a community consciousness that survives
today as Christmas Unlimited. While there are significant gaps in the
organization’s historic archives, it is remarkable how little has changed
philosophically from those early days when 300 to 1,000 children were served
annually. And, there have been some difficult times.
The
project outgrew the Newton Lumber Yard attic and moved to the basement of the
downtown YMCA. Mrs. John Bennet guided Mrs. Santa Claus Club for sixteen years
in the forties and fifties. During this time the program provided clothes and
food in addition to toys. In the early 1970's they changed the name to
Christmas Unlimited and in the mid-eighties moved into the basement of a
building on Bott Avenue where toys, clothes and food were collected, cleaned,
repaired and distributed. Recounting this “era” an early volunteer remembered
“the families would step up to the counter and would list what they wanted.
Taking a box with us, we would try to find the items they asked for.” During
these years the number of children served each year grew to between 3,000 and
4,000.
Mid-Life
Crises
In
1987 president Emil Garnett announced in the Gazette that Christmas Unlimited
was on the verge of closing its doors -- too few volunteers and too much work.
Emil, his wife, and the Mary Garrison family were Christmas Unlimited. Mickie
Shepard, a local businessperson, responded to the Gazette article and stepped
forward to take the reigns of the struggling group. Calling upon friends and
family, she worked diligently to restructure the organization and develop a
five-year plan. It was during this time the “store” concept of distributing the
toys was developed, giving clients an opportunity to choose what they wanted
using a point voucher system.
Ann
Byrum, retired manger of the Chapel Hills Mall Sears store, was recruited and
in 1988 the Mall donated nearly 3,000 sq. ft. to Christmas Unlimited. Ann, the
first female store manager in the history of Sears, set up shop to clean,
repair and distribute toys. A core group of volunteers led by Robin Hunt, Marge
Sullivan, Dorothy Cook, Carol Pertl, Peggy Palsgrove, Charlotte Kindt, LaDonna
and Dick Palm saw to it toys were cleaned and sorted. Due to health concerns
Ann left the organization in 1993. LaDonna stepped into the Store Managers’
role, assisted by husband Dick.
By
this time Mickie had passed the presidential reigns to local attorney, David
Miller Jr. His vision for the organization inspired substantial growth and the
hiring of the group’s first staff person, executive director Susan Jenkins.
In
1990 Christmas Unlimited changed the way clients were screened and notified.
Applications were distributed to human service agencies who in turn gave them
to their clients. The response was unexpected and dramatic. More clients than
every before were served in December of 1990. In early 1991 Christmas Unlimited
was, by normal business standards, bankrupt. Commented then president Bob
Tretheway, “that season we were almost to the point of spray painting cardboard
boxes and calling them doll houses.” The new application distribution method
caused a nearly 30% increase in children served.
In
search of regular cash flow to dig the organization out of debt the volunteers
turned to bingo. For the next two and half years every Tuesday night was “Bingo
Night”. It was during this time that Christmas Unlimited lost the Bott Street
Basement due to the expansion of the landlord’s business. Chapel Hills Mall to
the rescue! An entire 5,600 sq. ft. of unfinished space was donated.
What
to do for lights, water and sprinklers? G.E. Johnson Construction encouraged
Blazer Electric Supply and Riviera Electric to pitch in. Larry Ferguson of MFP
Fire Protection donated a sprinkler system, and Mike McCarthy did the plumbing.
With financial support from Rampart Range Sertoma, and lots of hard work by
volunteers, the place was ready in about a month. It was home for the next two
seasons.
As
Chapel Hills Mall became more successful the 5,600 sq. ft. shrank to the
current 1,700 sq. ft. which is used for the refurbishing of gently used toys.
The Mall also donates eight self-store units to warehouse toys and supplies.
Too Much
Success?
Throughout
its history Christmas Unlimited had a “flow through” system for the collection
and distribution of toys. Everything that came in went out the same season. The
scare of December 1991 caused the board to think in terms of building financial
stability by collecting more toys than would be distributed each year. Greater
emphasis was placed on developing toy drives. In 1997 Sandy Aldrich came on
board as the Toy Drive Coordinator. Under her direction the number of corporate
drives increased dramatically. Bob Tretheway, now the organization’s
administrator, helped grow the three largest toy collection projects: the HOGS
Toy Run, KRDO’s Santa’s Toy Drive and KKTV’s Toy Drive.
This
goal of collecting and warehousing the majority of toys needed a year in
advance of distribution was achieved in 2000. This has allowed Christmas
Unlimited to serve more families in a more comfortable fashion and giving them
more toys. Additionally, a dramatic turn around has been effected. Prior to the
early-nineties 70% of the toys distributed were used. This past season 82% of
the toys given to families were new and the balance were carefully selected and
refurbished toys.
Having
$400,000 worth of toys a year in advance has created the need for about 6,000
sq. ft of warehouse space. Along with space for an electronics workshop, a
bicycle repair shop, sorting and washing toys and office space, Christmas
Unlimited needs a minimum of 7,000 sq. ft. of space for its operation.
Thus
the dilemma, create financial stability in order to better serve the community
— and — create a dependency on warehouse space.
To
further complicate the situation, Christmas Unlimited volunteers have been
quick to adopt struggling programs they felt met their goal of helping families
in need. In 1995 Shirley Crouch approached the organization for help with her
Christmas Is For Sharing program. For a number of years Shirley distributed
gifts to children in protective environments throughout southern Colorado.
Since then Christmas Unlimited has been instrumental in the success of
Christmas Is For Sharing by providing toys and wrapping paper.
In
1996 Christmas Unlimited, in cooperation with Help The Needy, established a
holiday toy distribution center in Woodland Park. Hosted by Our Lady of the
Woods Church, this project was responsible for nearly doubling the number of
families served in Teller county each holiday season. In 2005 the project ended
due to a lack of space for distribution.
Cards
For Kids, started by residents of the Fountain Valley Senior
Center and adopted by Christmas Unlimited in 1996, is a program where sports
cards are collected and packaged in small sets. The packages are used by youth
leaders as incentives for a variety of programs. Recipients have been the Emily
Griffith Center, Chins Up and the Pikes Peak Boy Scout Council.
Prescription
Plush was established in 1998. Through this program stuffed
animals, which are specially cleaned, sanitized, and sealed in plastic bags,
are distributed to senior care facilities.
In
2000 Christmas Unlimited started working with the Pueblo Goodwill for both a
toy distribution program and Operation Back To School. The Fremont County
Family Center has approached Christmas Unlimited and hopes of establishing a
toy and school supply distribution programs to serve their community.
Operation
Back To School was adopted in 1997. This program gives school
supplies to needy children and is dealt with in more detail in another section
of the website.
On
the drawing board is the Birthday Buddy program. The concept is to have the
Christmas Unlimited toy distribution center open year-round. Vouchers will be
distributed through area human service agencies and families in need will be
able to select a new toy for their child’s birthday.
Nomads
Nomore
From
1991 to October of 2001 Christmas Unlimited relocated some part of its
operation every year. Different workshop and warehouse spaces moved twelve
times, the office moved nine times and the Distribution Center moved six times.
During that time the operation was located at Chapel Hills Mall, at the
Satellite Hotel, at the Community Health Center, in rented semi-trailers, in an
old K-Mart, at the Youth Outreach Center, Rocky Mountain Clutch and in eleven
self-store units.
On
October 16, 2002 Christmas Unlimited, after wandering the non-profit desert for
seventy-seven years, moved into a warehouse located at 2204 E. Boulder. It is
the first time that the warehouse, office and distribution center is under one
roof. The refurbishing of toys is done in space donated by Chapel Hills Mall.
Volunteers
and service club partners managed to raise a $100,000 down payment. The next
challenge is to raise an additional $400,000 to pay off the building.
Throughout
The Years
Throughout
the years Christmas Unlimited has had thousands of volunteers, many having
dedicated a significant part of their lives to the organization’s success. Tens
of thousands of parents, grandparents, foster parents and children have
benefited from the simple idea of “neighbors helping neighbors.”
Eschewing
the entanglements of an umbrella fund-raising alliance, Christmas Unlimited has
remained staunchly independent and in charge of its own destiny. There have
been golden years and times of extreme difficulty — and always the organization
finds leadership, support and inspiration to forge ahead with its mission of
serving the Pikes Peak region. Since 1923 Christmas Unlimited has been:
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“Helping children
believe in the magic of Christmas,
and adults in the kindness of the human spirit.”
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