Local non-profit helping Freeport kids in need this holiday season

FREEPORT, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The holiday season is all about giving. With Christmas around the corner, the Freeport community is rallying behind one local non-profit that is dedicated to making sure all the kids in the Freeport area have a merry holiday season.

The Freeport Christmas Angels were officially established as a non-profit in early 2022, but members have been collecting toys and giving them out to kids in need for quite some time.

“Several years back, two of our founding board members were kind of doing this in an unofficial capacity, helping out those in need through the local church,” Elizabeth Haffner, board member and treasurer of the Freeport Christmas Angels, said. “They’re fifth generation Freeport so they’ve been here forever and know a lot about our community and the families here.”

But it isn’t just the Angels collecting the gifts themselves. Local business owner Josh Spears, owner of Sports to Geaux, told NewsChannel 7 he got involved because he saw a need, and felt the urge to help.

“With a growing community like Freeport, there’s a growing need as well so we’re trying to meet that need,” Spears said. “Our area is not one of the wealthiest areas in town. We’ve just seen a need... I don’t want to call the children needy children because they’re not. They’re just less fortunate.”

Spears said he takes his business all around the panhandle and collects donations from everyone willing to give to the angels.

“With us going so many places, we see so many people,” Spears said. “And that’s just more of an opportunity to make a friend, but also gather a toy or get a donation.”

In order to get those toys, families in the Freeport area can apply through the Freeport Christmas Angels and select their presents on designated days a week before Christmas.

The Angels told NewsChannel 7 it’s all possible thanks to the support of the community.

“The community really stands together and helps us,” Haffner said. A lot of businesses donate to us, local businesses, companies, business owners, individuals.”

It is all in an effort to help thy neighbor.

“We can give them to the red cross, and we can give them to different organizations,” Spears said. “But we don’t know if they go right here. With the Freeport Angels, they stay here locally.”

Coming together to ensure everyone in this tight-knit community has a happy holiday season.

If you would like to donate to the Freeport Christmas Angels, you can drop off donations at designated drop-off boxes in Freeport located at the following businesses:

• Regions Bank
• Freeport Library
• Freeport Auto Parts
• Frank’s Cash and Carry

Or you can contact the Angels by clicking here.

Spears told NewsChannel 7 he will be collecting donations until December 14th, and the Angels will be accepting donations until December 16th.

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