MONROE — While the Monroe Woman’s Club has made slight changes and tweaks to its annual Christmas Stocking Program over the years, nothing compares to this year.

A blizzard several years ago affected the deliveries of food and toys, but the incident was abrupt and the task still ended up being completed. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic had the Woman’s Club committee talking about altering plans during the summer months.

“I think it’s wonderful we all sat down and tried to come up with a plan that has worked so far,” said Kathy Reffue, who sits on the club’s treasurers and fundraising committee.

In order to mitigate the risk of spreading the coronavirus, the club’s committee had to make several concessions. Ultimately, the program will continue this year, but instead of accepting toy donations and delivering food, families will instead receive coupons that can be used for food, clothing or toys.

“We’ve amended the coupons to fill the gaps as best as possible,” said Ann Doyle, family coordinator. “To be honest, in this situation, it’s amazing that we can still do this. It’s really phenomenal, actually. Everyone has been receptive and understanding of what’s going on.”

The club has already begun receiving donations, most notably from the estate of Alice and Forrest Ladwig in the form of an $87,500 check. The Ladwigs chose 14 charities related to Monroe that were close to their heart, and the Christmas Stocking Fund was high on the list.

“This was great. We’re thrilled to death,” Reffue said. “Your community is only as good as what we can give back to it.”

Occasionally the club gives away more than it brings in, but in most years it is the opposite, according to Reffue, which has allowed for a rainy day fund that can cover many of the costs during slower years. While most donations are local, some of the early donors this year have come from former Monroe residents that have moved away to other states, like Colorado. 

Typically, the program has donation boxes scattered across dozens of businesses around town to collect toys to distribute to low-income and struggling families. Volunteer shoppers also take Christmas wish lists for individual families. The day before delivery, groups like Monroe High School athletic teams, Juda 4-H and others volunteer their time sorting the food boxes for delivery. The next day additional volunteers help deliver those packages.

“City workers volunteer; hospital staff and administration department; Optimist and Kiwanis; realtors — they start delivering at 6:30 a.m. The volunteers, we are at their mercy,” Reffue said. “Everybody just comes. We can’t do any of that this year.”

Sometimes as many as 350 volunteers help with packaging and distribution, but this year that will not be the case.

“It’s almost impossible to figure the number of volunteers who support the CSP, because there are so many facets to our project,” publicity co-chair Sue Armstrong wrote in a statement. Volunteers include those who call families to find out their needs, school groups and community members that set up, pack and deliver boxes, Girl Scout troops and individuals that bake cookies to donate, plus businesses and individuals that give monetary donations.

This year, families receiving packages will get a postcard with information on where and when to pick up their packages. 

“Basically, we won’t have any shoppers. They’re just going to be receiving the coupons — we’re just increasing the amount,” said Cindy Ditter, publicity co-chair. “The boxes won’t be delivered, but they’ll have two days to pick them up. We’re really trying to accommodate and go with the flow; work with whatever we can. And, you know, next year hopefully we’ll be back in business exactly the way it was before.”

All packages will be stored on the far west side of Monroe, thanks to Shirley Knox and Maple Leaf Cheese, which is allowing for storage and pick up operations.

“She’s going to have everything packed for us,” Ditter said. Reffue said if it wasn’t for Knox, there wouldn’t be a food box this year. 

As it stands, the club plans on returning to a normal process in 2021, but will keep an open mind to any new changes that may be needed — for safety, practicality or efficiency.

“This definitely has been a community effort,” Armstrong said of the longstanding success of the non-profit club, which has operated since the 1947 and under its current name since 1951. “Monroe has stepped up and come together in a magnificent way. Whether it’s through volunteering or making a monetary donation, Monroe has provided families in need with a little something extra at the holidays.”