Monroe Circle Community Center hosting ‘Christmas Store’ to support Michiana families

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - For the seventh year in a row, the Christmas Store at Monroe Circle Community Center (MC3) in South Bend is giving Michiana families who may find themselves in challenging times an opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts for their children for a large discount.

“Like beyond grateful. This is something that I didn’t think I was going to be able to do for [my kids]...I just started a new job. I just received my second paycheck and I have been trying to pull as many hours as I can just to get through for them...This right here for the community is something huge. There’s so many people struggling out here that we can’t get for our kids. Prices have gone up. Things like this that helps us so much,” said South Bend Resident Patricia Cook.

“It’s a chance for us to give back to the community through donations that we’ve received through various organizations to help families, parents and grandparents, reclaim some of the dignity that may be lost based off of financial situations...We’ve seen 100 kids come through our store already. We had over 350 kids that were already pre-registered for this event, which is pretty telling for the times we are going through,” said Director of the Monroe Circle Community Center Will Meyers.

The store will be held on Friday, Dec. 16, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Monroe Circle Community Center is located at 526 W. Western Avenue.

Gift costs are offset by 90 percent (for example, a $30 gift will cost $3), and shoppers can spend up to $5 per child.

If you pre-registered for the store, you will receive a designated time slot. If you are not pre-registered, you are welcome to wait in line to shop on a first-come, first-serve basis. For those who are waiting, there will be warm snacks, fellowship, and Christmas music.

If you bring your children, there will be a separate supervised area for them to wait while you shop, so the surprise is not spoiled for them!

For more information, head to the Monroe Circle Community Center’s Facebook page. There, you will also find an event page for the Christmas Store.

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