Bradenton Herald

THE GIFT OF HOPE

Salvation Army short on turkeys for holiday meal

MANATEE — Salvation Army officials aren’t getting enough turkeys to serve at the free holiday meals they provide each year, officials said Monday.

THE GIFT OF HOPE

Salvation Army, Alvarez serve feasts to hundreds

Like a growing number of people across Florida, Erik Leeborg has no real place to call “home” for the holidays. He joined dozens of others like him at the Salvation Army in Bradenton on Christmas, partaking in a free dinner of turkey and all of the trimmings.

THE GIFT OF HOPE

Santa Cop program bags toys for needy

Instead of "Onward Donner, onward Blitzen," it was "Crank your engines." Members of the Gulf Coast Corvette Club provided about 25 of the rakish sports cars and their owners to haul away toys for the Mount Carmel Community Resource Center in Palmetto and the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots drive.

COLUMNISTS

Adopt-a-Family begins holiday gift giveaway

WHITFIELD — Mary Lang, Rebecca Jeffrey and Johanna Farias may not know each other.

THE GIFT OF HOPE

Salvation Army hopes to have toys for 250 ‘angels’

MANATEE — A mountain of toys collected during the Salvation Army’s annual Angel Tree drive is being sorted and prepared for distribution to almost 2,500 children.

THE GIFT OF HOPE

Braden River’s Empty Bowls help fill stomachs

EAST MANATEE — Mike and Marie Marshall of Lakewood Ranch looked on proudly as their sons, Logan and Nate, helped host Braden River Middle School’s 10th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon.

RELIGION

Christmas Community Connection gives clothes, toys

BRADENTON — For folks struggling with holiday preparations in a difficult economy, Christmas Community Connection must seem like a ray of light from Santa’s workshop.

THE GIFT OF HOPE

Palmetto couple enlists hunters for hunger fight

PALMETTO — Missy Plum seems out of place as the organizer of a hunters alliance.

BUSINESS

Photos: Shoe shopping spree

THE GIFT OF HOPE

Letter carriers’ annual toy drive is Saturday

MANATEE — U.S. Postal Service mail carriers will be hauling a larger-than-usual load Saturday.