More than 1,000 served at Operation Happiness

Published 10:15 am Thursday, December 20, 2018

Hundreds of people received an extra dose of happiness Wednesday.

About 1,095 people registered for the annual Operation Happiness this year, and nearly 450 volunteers worked to make this year’s operation successful.

Families received a Christmas meal, staples for the pantry and coats during the Day of Giving Wednesday at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on West Lexington Avenue.

Email newsletter signup

Clark County Community Services director Debbie Fatkin said she was pleased with how this year’s event turned out.

A prayer team, and local churches and homemakers groups also served chili for families.

Operation Happiness started in the early 1970s, Fatkin previously told The Sun. For more than 40 years, the program has been helping families at a critical time of need throughout the year.

If families did not pick up boxes on the Day of Giving, CCCS would give donations on a first-come, first serve basis from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at CCCS.

This year, food boxes included turkey, potatoes, rolls, brownie mix, macaroni and cheese, eggs and butter along with canned vegetables and fruits, cereal and some personal care items like toilet paper, laundry detergent and dish soap.

Clark County Public Schools held a canned food drive to help collect items. Shearer Elementary School collected the most cans — more than 3,300 cans — this year. CCCS also placed donation barrels throughout the community.

The outreach program was open and available for any family or individual in Clark County, regardless of income or other factors, Fatkin previously told The Sun.

It takes a little more than $40,000 to run the program each year.

Fatkin said she’d like to thank the volunteers and donors who helped make the 2018 Operation Happiness successful.

“It takes a lot of volunteers to help this many people,” Fatkin said.

About Lashana Harney

Lashana Harney is a reporter for The Winchester Sun. Her beats include schools and education, business and commerce, Winchester Municipal Utilities and other news. To contact her, email lashana.harney@winchestersun.com or call 859-759-0015.

email author More by Lashana