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Options seeking donations

By Julie N. Chang | The News Herald

Published: November 3, 2009

MORGANTON - Halloween may not be a distant memory yet, but the gift-giving season is quickly approaching.
Options of Burke County is looking for people to adopt a family for Christmas, but most importantly they are in need of items for the battered women's shelter.
The wish list for the shelter includes spaghetti sauce, bread, milk, margarine, ketchup, ranch dressing, mustard, mayonnaise, dishwasher detergent, tall kitchen trash bags, toilet paper and paper towels.
Options Executive Director Kristy Graf said the amount of items the shelter goes through varies each week because of the fluctuating number of people at the shelter.
Currently the shelter is going through five gallons of milk, four loaves of bread and four dozen eggs a week, Graf said.
The shelter can house up to 24 women and children in six bedrooms, Graf said. It's been over a month since the occupancy was below 14 people.
Because Options is an emergency shelter, the organization likes to see the women leave within four to five weeks, Graf said.
The length of stay can vary though, Graf said, because the amount of danger is evaluated before the women and children are released.
The high unemployment in the county is affecting the women's ability to find employment and affordable housing, Graf said.
In addition to the women's shelter's wish list, Options is looking for people to adopt a family for Christmas.
Adopters are given the ages, clothing sizes and wish lists of a family, Graf said. The gifts are distributed to the mothers at a Christmas party, who in turn give them to their children on Christmas Day.
Toys and other donations are also welcome, Graf said.
For more information contact Options at 438-9444.