Children, Elderly Participate in Project Bundle Up in Kittanning

by Jonathan Weaver

More than 100 children and elderly adults shopped for clothing to keep warm this winter with the Kittanning Salvation Army last night.

Families with empty shopping carts lined up outside of the Kittanning WalMart about 6PM before families large and small were paired with volunteers to shop for coats, boots, hats, gloves and snow pants until about 7:30PM.

Kittanning Salvation Army Lieutenant Amber Imhoff said families signed up for Project Bundle-Up at the end of September.

“Every Salvation Army location in Western Pennsylvania does Project Bundle-Up – we do it different than the other locations. Most of the other locations do multiple trips or write vouchers, and we’re the only location that does all of our kids at once and all of our seniors at once,” Imhoff said. “We have 115 this year, and we try to be in-and-out in an hour-and-a-half, give or take.

“We help a lot of working-class families that are maybe working minimum-wage jobs or maybe one of the parents was laid off or had a medical issue in the past year.”

Volunteers stemming from local Parents Time Out (PTO) organizations, local churches and the Salvation Army’s Womens Auxiliary shopped with local families.

Armstrong Junior/Senior High Cheerleading Coach Soney Hockenberry said more than a dozen seventh through 12th grade cheerleaders came to help as well.

A Kittanning Senior High cheerleader who graduated in 1976, Hockenberry is also a physician office manager at ACMH Hospital in East Franklin Township – where she found out about the need for volunteers.

“There was an e-mail that went out from the Salvation Army that they needed help – I gave (the cheerleaders) less than 24 hours notice and we have a nice group that came,” Hockenberry said. “I am just so very proud of them. They didn’t have to do it, it was less than 24 hours notice and I was just getting e-mails all (Monday) night and (Tuesday) (saying) ‘I can be there, I can be there.’ Very proud of them.

“It is an important lesson to learn in life.”

Sophomore Olivia Emmonds, of Ford City, and Senior Caitlynn Becker were two of the varsity cheerleaders who volunteered last night. It was the first Project Bundle-Up experience for both.

“It was a great thing we heard about, so we figured ‘Why not come help?,” Emmonds said.

Both girls are part of student organizations that also volunteer regularly – including Student Council, LEO Club and SADD.

Lieutenant Amber said more than 50 volunteers responded following the e-mail blast.

“It’s just a good night because, if the kids pick it out, they’re more than likely to wear it once it’s cold – especially the teenagers,” Imhoff said. “If they like it, they’ll wear it.”

Even with a $5,000 allocation from the Carnegie-based headquarters, the local Salvation Army budgets about $7,000 more in the annual General Operating Budget to accommodate the local need.

“I always get a little nervous but it always works out,” Imhoff concluded. “It’s important because in the winter-time here, it gets cold.”

Brian McKean and wife Erika Armor - originally of Vandergrift - took their three children (three year old Matthew, nine-year-old Chad and six year old Jasmine) to WalMart as part of Project Bundle-Up.

McKean said he was “very thankful” for the opportunity.

“Very thankful for people volunteering to come and do this and help families out who are in need,” McKean said. “It’s a wonderful thing.”

Jasmine was particularly-pleased with her cheetah-print coat and hat.

Amy Kirkwood, of Kittanning, walked with the five-member family. It was her first Project Bundle-Up volunteer experience after working with another agency in the past.

“It’s definitely nice seeing how excited (children) get,” Kirkwood said. “It’s nice the kids get to pick their own stuff because a lot of times, they’ll get hand-me-downs.”

Kirkwood plans to volunteer again this holiday season with her four-year-old daughter, Hailey.

More than 150 local residents received winter clothing last year.

“We get a lot of hugs – you see a lot of volunteers with tears in their eyes, because they make a relationship with (the needy families),” Imhoff said.

Those who purchased clothes last night will not qualify for the next two years. Next year, those families and those that did not register in-time are referred to the Salvation Army’s free Clothing Room.

Local residents can also sponsor families’ in-need year-round by stopping by the Kittanning Salvation Army along South Jefferson Street. The average child is about $75 and senior citizen $100.

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