The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-12-18
CHRISTMAS NEEDS
NOT YET MET BY
BENNINGTON
Another Appeal for the Coming
Community Christmas
MUCH MORE HELP NEEDED
Headquarters of the Civic League
Open Over Nichols & Warren and
Gifts Should Be Sent EARLY.

The Community Christmas Head
quarters opened Thursday in the
spacious rooms over the store Of
Nichols & Warren on Main street.
During the day there were but two
gifts, one OF toys and one Of money
The need this year, although not as
great as that of last, is just as ur-
gent. Letters have been received
from over a hundred children asking
for shoes, rubbers, warm dresses,
sweaters and hair ribbons Money is
especially needed TO FIJI these re-
quests as well as outgrown clothing,
In a year OF adversely every child
in Bennington was given merry
Christmas and widespread attention
was attracted TO the fact both within
and outside OF The state IN a circu-
lar letter sent out by the Greater
Vermont Association was the follow
ing:
Vermont has accepted the Com
munity Christmas Tree as most
significant featureaof the Christmas
Season. At least fifteen Vermont
communities enjoyed municipal fes
tiQals this year. in the great majority
of cases for the first time. In spite
Of the cold weather which chilled the
singers and froze cornets thousands
Of Nermonters on Christmas eve and
Christmas night sang under the open
sIly in the presence Of great Vermont
spruces which were brilliant with
light. Tho good @'il o. many com
munities was expressed in simple
gifts to hundreds of children. The
universal feeling throughout the state
is that the Community Christmas is
great success and that year from
now mere elaborate preparations
and better organization will produce
even happier results.
There was everywhere a generous
eagerness on the part OF individuals,
firms and organizations to contribute
money and services TOR the Communi-
ty Christmas. The Civic League of
Bennington worked cut a most re-
markabe system by which toys and
fruit, books and caps shoes and gar
ments we're given to 4S6 children of
1873 families. The Christmas head
quarters OF the Civic League through
its study OF the needs of the children
in cooperation with the schools,
through It's investigations with the
help OF individuals and organizations
and churches, through its use Of
card cataloe which indicated the prac
tical needs of large number of chill
dren, through whole-souled giving on
the part of the people of Bennington,
was able, SAYS the Bennington Ban
ner TO enable the Bennington spirit
OF Christmas TO find expression, and
to work out q system OF distribution
which should reach all of those fam
lilies which might otherwise find
Christmas joyless"
Numerous inquiries as to Ben
method have been received
and yesterday word came from Brat
tleboro that they had adopted Ben
ninetons Community Christmas plan
exactly
Bennington will be one OF a thous-
and or more cities which this year
will have a municipal festival with
the spirit of Christmas presiding in
the city square. She is again offered
a channel through which this spirit of
Christmas may find expression and
all her children share in material
things which are, after all, the neces-
sary basis for spiritual happiness.