I TAKE PRIDE in The Herald Good News Fund’s annual drive for turkeys for families in need for the Christmas season. It has been a program that through 15 years has raised nearly $150,000, most of which has come in $10 and $20 donations from area residents.

We kicked off this year’s drive Sunday, and we’re hoping to be able to give 1,000 turkeys to the Community Food Warehouse of the Shenango Valley. The warehouse, in the able hands of Executive Director Lori Weston, distributes the turkeys shortly before Christmas through its network from New Wilmington to Lakeview.

We face a huge challenge with this fall’s drive. The economy is crumbling around us, and residents are battling price increases in all areas, from a gallon of milk to a gallon of gas and seemingly everything in between.

In that respect, when it seems that the area’s ability to give may be taking a hit, it’s in these tough times that the Good News Fund and the warehouse need your support and your generosity.

Michael and Ailene Magnotto of Hermitage Shop ’n Save have supplied turkeys at cost to the Good News Fund since we started the holiday program. They take it a step farther by having them dropped off at the warehouse in Farrell. That beats the first year, when we loaded more than 1,000 turkeys in Herald vans and delivered them to the warehouse in an all-day ordeal.

Throughout the years, people have donated money willingly because they appreciate that The Herald serves only as a conduit for the program. We collect the donations, print the names of donors in The Herald, and pay Magnotto’s for the turkeys. Every cent of the money collected goes for food, thanks in large part to Nancy Ash, The Herald’s community news coordinator, who keeps track of every donation and handles most aspects of the annual drive.

We always know when it’s time to start the annual drive — residents start to send in their donations before we announce the campaign. It’s heart-warming to know that we have so many caring residents in our midst, who realize that we have many less fortunate families that depend upon the food warehouse for the basics of life.

The prices of turkeys keep increasing as well. It may be cliché, but 1,000 turkeys cost a lot more today than they did in 1993. Our goal this year is $15,000. I think that should be able to buy the turkeys that we need for the warehouse. With your help and generosity, we’ll be able to make Christmas a little brighter for some of our neighbors and friends.

Friends of the Library sale

It’s that time of the year again. Get out a few bucks and head to Downtown Sharon for another book sale, sponsored by the Friends of the Library that benefits Shenango Valley Community Library. These book sales serve as major fund-raisers for the library, which while located in Sharon, serves the entire Shenango Valley area.

We can debate the impact of the Internet on libraries, but I still believe that good universities have good libraries, and the same should be said for communities as well.

I got an e-mail from Elvera DeMatteis of Sharpsville, one of the Friends, asking for some help in getting the word out about the sale, which begins Oct. 22. Her e-mail read in part:

“We, the Friends of the Library, are having our fall book sale Oct. 22 through Oct. 25 in the basement of the library during normal hours. You have put this news in your column before and we got many remarks from the people that came to the sale telling that they read it there. We can’t tell you how much this was appreciated. You have many readers of your column. Being that we are trying to help the library keep its doors open in these times, it would help us greatly if you were able to give us a pitch in your column. Thank you.”

Sharon High football alumni

Taking advantage of technology, Sharon High School is trying to build a mailing list of former football players. The database would be used for special events concerning former football Tigers. The first such event will be a picnic for ex-Tigers before the game with Hickory at Sharon High Stadium on Oct. 31.