www.roanoke.com

On the day before fall's start, folks gathered--whether they were car or biker enthusiasts or not--at Christian Life International on West Main Street for a good goal. The Community Christmas Store, which serves Salem, Vinton, and Craig and Roanoke Counties, hopes to provide a bike and helmet to each kid in the families they serve that needs one. The all-volunteer organization donates 95 percent of the proceeds for every event back to the families who are served by the CCs.

The Community Christmas Store started in 1993 to help impoverished families in a dignified way. Rather than just giving needy folks boxes of pre-packaged goods, they let individual families choose the donations they prefer. Each child in the program gets a new outfit, a new coat, a few great toys (the Marines sponsor the Mud Run for Toys for Tots). Their family gets a certain number of household items and gifts, and a ready-to-make Christmas dinner comes packaged and proportioned for the number of family members.

Last December, the CCS ran out of bikes during the first day of giving. A quick call to WDBJ7's Jean Jadhon brought in almost all of the bikes they needed--half of those from Paul Wiley of Wiley's construction.

This year, a framed P. Buckley Moss print is up for raffle. To buy a ticket, to donate, or to learn how you can volunteer for the Community Christmas Store, call Donna Hoffman at 540-772-4586. Every donation is tax-deductible.