The Lawrence County Young Professionals are helping local children have a good Christmas again this year.

The group’s Secret Santa program has helped provide the area’s needy children with clothes and toys for the past several years. Along with the clothes and toys, the LCYP will promote health and wellness during this year’s program by also providing a basket of nonperishable food.

“We decided to do the food basket because some kids rely on their school meals as the only meals they get,” Jessica Cornett, chair of the LCYP, said. “These same kids will be home over the holidays for a while and won’t have the school meals they are used to.”

LCYP partners with local schools and Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization to determine which children are selected to be part of the program. The goal every year is 500 children, Cornett said.

“We give the forms to the schools and the CAO and they decide who receives a form,” she said. “The schools really know which children are needy.”

Yard signs can be placed at a residence or business for any person or business that donates $100 or more.

“The yard signs are a good way for people who donate to be recognized,” Cornett said. “It is well-deserved recognition for those people and businesses.”

A silent auction will be held at this year’s chamber of commerce awards banquet, and members of LCYP are being asked to solicit items for the auction.

“Several businesses have already donated and we have some Ohio University basketball tickets,” Cornett said. “We have also donated a lot of things ourselves as always.”

Money raised by the auction helps cover costs of the program.

Donation request letters have been mailed and donation boxes are located at the Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce and at City National Bank in Ironton and Proctorville. Donations can also be made via PayPal on the LCYP Facebook page or from a mobile device or mailed to Secret Santa, P.O. Box 488, South Point, OH 45680. Make checks payable to LEDC Secret Santa.

Lawrence County Young Professionals is a group of professionals who live and work in the Lawrence County area who are coming together to network and get involved in the community to help make a difference.

Lawrence County Young Professionals was founded in 2009 and is devoted to the personal and professional development of young professionals living and working in the Lawrence County community.

They are a group of Young Professional living, working, or just generally interested in the Greater Lawrence County, Ohio area. They are an organization with the members are aged 21-45. The Young Professional group was created with the goals of networking with other professionals, bettering the community through service projects, and providing opportunities for young professionals to socialize with other like-minded people.