Operation Santa Ready to Begin

Linda McDaniel (left), Advocate and Community Resource Officer, and Terry Bellamy, Executive Director. Both women work with the ARC of Buncombe County.

By Brian Sarzynski

It’s cold outside, Thanksgiving is but a memory, and all around town festive lights remind us that Christmas is just around the corner. And as the elves at the North Pole put in overtime to meet the holiday demand, some local elves have been just as busy. The volunteers and staff members of the ARC of Buncombe County are hard at work preparing to launch “Operation Santa.”

Since 1957 the ARC of Buncombe County has been empowering persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities to realize their highest potential through advocacy, education, programs and family support. This year marks the 15th anniversary of ARC of Buncombe County’s Operation Santa — a program that has provided Christmas gifts to thousands of their clients over the years. This year more than 300 individuals will receive Christmas presents through Operation Santa.

The program receives requests from families, group homes, and agencies
involved with individuals with intellectual or developmental
disabilities. The gifts are individually chosen from a “wish list”
prepared by the client and are delivered by volunteers and staff members
a day or two before Christmas — sometimes even on Christmas Day.

Terry Bellamy, the Executive Director of the ARC of Buncombe County,
notes that, “Every year the need gets greater, but this year has been
particularly challenging because of the economy.” Still, the nonprofit
agency does what it can to help Santa spread Christmas joy. Funding for
Operation Santa, according to Bellamy, comes largely from individual
contributions; members of the public who would like to help fund
Operation Santa are encouraged to contact the organization.

For Bellamy, the hard work is worth it: “To see how Operation Santa can
make a person’s Christmas special reminds us all of the true meaning of
this holiday.”

For more information, contact the ARC of Buncombe County at (828) 253-1255, or by email at [email protected].