Contact: Kreda Yokley, executive director
Phone: 615-742-1113
E-mail:
mckyokley@aol.com
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DATE: December 12, 2006
FRANKLIN – Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency’s annual Christmas toy drive ensures many Williamson County families have a wonderful holiday season.
Through its partnership with the Nashville Family Church, Independence High School, World Gym and Panera Bread, the non-profit agency provides Christmas toys for less-fortunate families.
“We are fortunate to have generous partners in our community,” said Kreda Yokley, MCCAA’s executive director. “Our agency’s resources are limited, so it’s important we have local businesses and organizations that can help us provide services to families.
“Christmas can be an overwhelming time for some families. That’s why we appreciate the help that the Nashville Family Church, Independence High School, World Gym and Panera Bread give us during our toy drive. We couldn’t do it without them.”
Since 1971, MCCAA has provided a number of home energy assistance, medical support, transportation, rental, mortgage and utility assistance, and nutritional services to Middle Tennessee families. Agency programs include Head Start and Early Head Start, Self-Sufficiency and Income Tax Preparation. The agency services eight Mid-State counties, which include Cannon, Cheatham, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson and Wilson.
Pastor Chris Whitney of the Nashville Family Church said this is the second year his church has partnered with MCCAA’s annual Christmas toy drive.
“Needs in the community never stop,” he said. “We are glad we can be of service. We just want to be able to help people and empower them to not only help themselves, but others, as well.”
Yokley and Whitney said they were especially proud of the effort given by Independence High School students, who collected hundreds of toys for the drive.
Panera Bread will provide a free catered lunch for the high school class that collected the most toys, while the second, third and fourth place classes will get a free breakfast from the eatery.
“Pat Mellor of Panera Bread has been most gracious during our toy drive,” Yokley said. “We appreciate his continued support of our agency. And we appreciate the help we’ve received from World Gym this year, too. They have been great.”
Anyone interested in donating new unwrapped toys for the toy drive can drop them by Panera Bread at 3046 Columbia Avenue in Franklin; at World Gym’s Spring Hill (3012 Longford Drive) or Cool Springs (7105 Moores Lane) locations; or at MCCAA’s Franklin office (Suite 136 of the Community Services Building at 129 West Fowlkes Street).
Interested parties can also contact the church, located at 4247 South Carothers Street in Franklin, at 615-790-3758, or through its Web site at www.nashvillefamilychurch.org.
“We really appreciate all the support we get from the community for all of our programs, not just the toy drive,” Yokley said. “Without our community partners, we couldn’t provide our families with nearly the amount of services we do.”
From left to right, Deejah Fordham, media production instructor and Skills USA advisor at Independence High School; Kreda Yokley, executive director of MCCAA; Elaine Whitney of MCCAA’s Franklin office; Pastor Chris Whitney of the Nashville Family Church; and Independence High School students display some of the toys collected during MCCAA’s toy drive.
For additional information about the services provided by Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency, click here
