Mineola Caring & Sharing is looking for persons interested in helping the needy during the upcoming Christmas season. According to Board President Joyce Curry, the group has developed around 20 committees to take care of needy families and elderly of the Mineola ISD.

These areas range from the various fundraisers needed to support the entire project to the can drive with the schools to food distribution day. While help is needed in all areas, there are  several committees that need volunteers. Those include the Brookshire’s raffle, saving aluminum cans and selling in Tyler, collection and moving of boxes from Brookshires to the Methodist Ministry Center, buying and distributing family gifts, selling ads for the radio auction and sorting and distribution of food in December.

The first big fundraiser of the season is the Caring & Sharing Car Show, chaired by Lizzy and Eric Hayes. This year, in addition to the $20 entry fee, participants are asked to bring a toy. The car show will be held in conjunction with the Iron Horse Festival on Sept. 23. Also new will be a silent auction and a kiddie car entry. Kirk and Jennifer Henson have volunteered to produce the show for the second year.

Two new projects will start this year. The first is “Caring Coats for Kids.” New coats may be donated to C&S, and the committee will also buy coats. Mineola Kindness Kottage has agreed to have a special rack for the coats, which will be given to Caring & Sharing clients only. Also added this year will be two scholarships for MHS seniors whose families are C&S clients.

The first volunteer meeting will be Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church Hall on Meadowbrook Dr. For information on volunteering, call Projects Chair Roy Shockey at 817-475-9840 or Board President Joyce Curry at 903-850-2121 or come to the first volunteer meeting.