On the Ninth day of Christmas ...

 The Bobo children show off their Christmas gifts, courtesy of the Lottie Maynard Fund of the Jefferson Park Neighbors Association

Jennifer Cobb, the organizer of this year's Lottie Maynard Fund, forwarded this note about the project:

Above is a picture of the Bobo children, our 2009 Lottie Maynard recipient family. Ms. Bobo wanted to thank everyone who helped and donated over the past year to ensure she and her children had a great Christmas. The family received new clothes, toys, movies, bedding, and kitchen items, all made possible by the generous neighbors of Jefferson Park.

Jennifer would like to thank all who helped, including Lisa Landers, Tracy Smith, Janee Barrett, Clay Davis, and a special thanks to Mark Sorak and Linda Sheldon for their generous personal donations.

Lottie Maynard gifts packed and ready to be delivered

These gifts, in all their holiday pizazz of colorful paper and ribbons, will make Christmas very special for a neighborhood family.

Jennifer Cobb, the organizer of this year's Lottie Maynard fund, sent the photo before the many gifts are delivered to the family, a mom and four children, 10 years and younger.

The fund is a project of the Jefferson Park Neighbor Association and helps a family to have gifts for Christmas morning.  All the activities organized by the association and supported by Jefferon Parkers make this possible.

Lottie Maynard Fund UPDATE

In the spirit of Christmas - where giving is better than receiving - the neighborhood's Lottie Maynard Fund is reaching out to a family of five.

Jennifer Cobb, the organizer of the gift-giving, said the family is a mom and four kids, ages 10 to 5. And the mother is in school to be a medical assistant.

Now is the time for people to step up to reach out to this neighbor. (This isn't the time to clear out the closet with old items; save those for a yard sale. Donations must be either new or gift cards.) 

The kids' wish list include:

• Hannah Montana stuff (note pads, shirts, pens, general stuff)
• Dora the Explorer doll and other Dora items
• Star Wars Bakugan 
• Michael Jackson shirts and other stuff
• notebooks
• hardback binders
• other school supplies
• Stuffed teddy bear
• Lollypops
• Dictionary, other learning books
• Legos
• Bookbags

Clothes:

• Girls size 5/6/ shoes 11
• Girls size 8/ shoes 13
• Girls size 6/ shoes 12
• Boys size 10/ shoes 3

For the mom:

• Home Depot/Lowe’s/ or Walmart gift cards
• Dishes
• Bedding (king size)
• Women’s clothes, size 11/12, Medium/Large, or shoes size 11.

Christmas Decorations:

• Anything and everything. They need a Christmas tree/stand/etc.. lights, stockings, etc.

If anyone is able to donate new items, please contact Jennifer at 678.360.6084 or jcobb1978@gmail.com.   (The family would also benefit from gently used TV or a computer, but talk with Jennifer about those items.)

Lottie Maynard's legacy is neighbors helping neighbors

A neighborhood tradition is again underway as neighbors help folks who are struggling to celebrate the season with a little something underneath the tree. 

The Lottie Maynard Fund organizer Jennifer Cobb answered questions about the project. The neighbor association sets aside $1,000 for this project.

• What is the Lottie Maynard project all about? How long has it been going on and do you know anything about this woman?
• The Lottie Maynard Fund is an annual neighborhood project of the JPNA where we pick a few families in need and essentially give them a Christmas – toys, other gifts, grocery gift cards, etc. We do not pay bills nor do we give cash. I honestly don’t know the story of Lottie Maynard, but if you ask some of the neighbors who have been around a while they would know.
How'd you get involved this year? Have you done it in the past?
• Clay, the JPNA President, sent out an e-mail asking for someone to lead it and I offered to head it up this year. I have not done it in the past.
What are the needs of the project? How can neighbors get involved?
• Our biggest issue right now is finding families. It would appear that while we say hello to our neighbors, we don’t really know what their struggles are and that makes this project difficult. But even if you don’t know the person’s name, I have a letter that I can put in their mailbox explaining that they’ve been nominated and would they like to participate. Beyond that, we’ll need donations of gifts, but until I speak with the families I won’t know what we need donated.
Is there a meeting scheduled for this project, where and when?
• There is no meeting scheduled for this.
Where do you live in the neighborhood and how long? What is the best way for people to contact you?
• My husband and I live on East Forrest Avenue and are coming up on our 4^th anniversary of living in Jefferson Park. The best way to contact me is via e-mail, jcobb1978@gmail.com.