By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
December 23, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Della Lamb is committed to its community.

So much so that during the holidays, when they know there are low income families out there struggling to put gifts under their trees or food on their tables, Della Lamb is quick to lend a hand.

For the past two weeks, the 41st annual Operation Santa Claus has been taking place from the gymnasium of Della Lamb, 500 Woodland Ave. During this time, qualified families were able to stop by and pick-up toys, clothing, hats, scarfs, gloves, and children’s books. Along with their gifts, families were also given a holiday meal, which featured frozen turkeys or chickens, packages of stuffing mix, instant mashed potatoes, cans of green beans, apple pie filling or cake mix/frosting.

When Operation Santa Claus began in 1975, 100 families participated. Since then, Della Lamb now helps about 1,700 families from the Kansas City area. Everything that is handed out was donated. Cash donations were also welcomed, as a $50 donation provided a complete Christmas for an entire family including new toys, clothes, groceries and a turkey. Don Pfannenstiel, Integrated Marketing and Communications Principal for Della Lamb, said donations were accepted until Dec. 17.

“Then during the week of Christmas, [Della Lamb] staff will go out to the charter school and distribute leftover toys to children in certain grades,” Pfannenstiel said. The Della Lamb Charter School in northeast KC is the original KC charter school and now Della Lamb has more than 600 students.

For the past 118 years, Della Lamb has provided emergency, social and educational services to support children and families as they move from poverty to self-sufficiency. During the last year, its resettlement programs have placed more than 100 families, most arriving from western Africa.

Pfannenstiel noted that families were pre-registered and qualified in advance of the pick-up dates.

He said Operation Santa Claus is similar to Della Lamb’s Operation Thanksgiving, except the Christmas drive includes toys and clothing for children.

“It’s pretty beautiful,” Pfannenstiel said.

By the numbers: This year, Operation Santa Claus helped 1,700 families; 6,000 individuals; 1,480 teenagers; and 2,200 kids between the ages of one and 12-years-old.