Idaho

Cookies and Cocoa Boost Community Spirit

Festive event helps Idaho agent give back to her community.

Santa listened to Christmas wishes, reindeer played and children’s eyes glowed with wonder during Agent Kathy Chambers’ fourth annual holiday open house in Meridian, Idaho.

Kathy hosts the annual event to give back to her community. She says the event keeps growing.

“The first year, about 25-30 families attended. This year, I estimate about 400 families were there,” Chambers says. “We had cookies, hot chocolate, ponies and reindeer. A local middle school choir provided holiday music. And, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Claus were on hand. Every year, my dad plays Santa, and Team Member Cindy McCoy is Mrs. Claus.”

During the event, children could write letters to Santa or make special reindeer food out of oats and glitter. The mixture is guaranteed to make reindeers fly, Chambers adds.

She invited United States Marines to attend the event and collect toys for Toys for Tots. “Jonathan Brady and William Ambrouse stood outside my office door for five hours collecting 358 donated toys. It was incredible,” says Chambers. “They also collected more than 200 letters and holiday cards from people in the community to send to the troops.”

Guests also could make a donation and have a State Farm® teddy bear added to the toy collection. “Any size donation was welcome. All proceeds and bears went to Toys for Tots,” says Kathy. “We collected 50 teddy bears and nearly $200.

“We were thrilled by the turnout and the generosity of people in our community.”