You answered the call: Christian Needs Center doing OK

Jessica Larson, of Le Mars, the new director of the Christian Needs Center, helps current director Laura Van Wyk get presents ready for the Adopt a Family recipients. Van Wyk announced recently that Larson will be taking the position, and she also noted that, with widespread community support, the Christian Needs Center will be able to keep offering services for another year. [Click to enlarge]

That's how the Le Mars Christian Needs Center's director Laura Van Wyk described the community response to the center's appeal for donations to help them serve people through the holidays.

In October the center's board of directors asked the community for food and money donations to help keep the center's services available.

Le Mars Community High School students gave a big boost to the Christian Needs Center. During the holiday season, the challenge for each class of students at LCHS was to raise $500 for the food and clothes pantry. The LCS staff was included with the challenge. Each grade and the staff reached their goal. Here Emily TeBrink, Le Mars Community School student body vice president, Brianna Engebretson, president, and (far right) Tyler Bohlke, LCS student body secretary/treasurer hand Laura Van Wyk, of the Christian Needs Center, checks adding up to more than $4,000. The money donated is double what has been raised in the past. The LCS freshman class raised the most. Also the Thespians presented a play to the high school students on Friday; those students attending paid $1. This money is matched by the Student Council and also donated to the Christian Needs Center. [Click to enlarge]

"Right now we have enough to operate for a whole year," Van Wyk said. "But money donations are still great so we don't have to get to that desperate appeal again."

This year, 133 families participated in the center's Adopt a Family. program.

The Adopt a Family program in the past allowed community members to shop specifically for an entire anonymous family in need using a wish list. This year it only included children and adults with special needs.

"One hundred percent of the families were adopted this year," Van Wyk said.

People, she said, seem to love helping out with the Adopt a Family program.

"Buying gifts for others, it's their favorite thing to do," she said. "It's been said, 'It's better to give than to receive.' And I think when it's anonymous it's even better."

Friday, volunteers helped hand out gifts and packages to families.

"It's chaos, pure chaos," Van Wyk laughed. "We get a lot of thank yous after the first of the year."

But there's more big news from the Christian Needs Center: it's in for a leadership change in 2009.

Van Wyk is handing the directorship over to Jessica Larson, of Le Mars.

"I've worked 7 1/2 years here," Van Wyk said. "It was time for a change."

Larson, the wife of Pastor Jason Larson, has volunteered with Van Wyk at the center in the past.

"I recommended Jess," Van Wyk said. "I knew her personality would be compassion for people who come in here."

Larson said she's excited about the opportunity to work with anyone in need of help.

"Knowing Laura and what she stands for and how she runs this place, it was an easy way to slide in and continue what she's started," she added.

Larson said her first order of business is getting to know the clients that come in and helping them in whatever way the Christian Needs Center can.

"One goal I'd like to see is having the ministerial association work together with the Christian Needs Center," she said. "I think they should go hand in hand."

The board of directors also has some long-term goals for the center.

"Partnering with other agencies in the area, applying for more grants -- these are some of the things the board is looking at doing," Van Wyk said.

Van Wyk noted that during her tenure as director, her husband and children helped at the center quite a bit.

"My kids learned a lot that it's good to give, and to use your natural abilities as best you can," she said.

Larson, originally from Yankton, S.D., moved to Le Mars with her husband six years ago.

"It's a blessing to this community to have a place like this," she said of the Christian Needs Center. "It's probably hard to for some to come get the services they need -- it's hard to ask for help."

She said that when she was growing up, her family faced some hard times.

"A lot of these opportunities weren't available," she said. I want to help someone's situation -- it's better today than yesterday."

Since her husband is a pastor, she said, she sees many people in tough situations.

"There is a need here," Larson said. "We all like to send out money overseas. But there is a mission here in our city that needs to be addressed, and I want to help out in any way I can."