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A donation presented by United Bank officials will go a long way to help make children’s wishes come true in the upcoming holiday season.
The United Bank Charitable Foundation answered a call from Hermastine Lancaster, founder and operator of Anna Bell’s Attic Ministries, Inc.
Lancaster works in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources to select children for a Christmas Wish List shopping event in December.
Lancaster said the donation will make this year especially joyful for many children in the community.
“Last year we were able to take 30 children shopping to help fill their wish lists,” Lancaster said. “With this donation, we will be able to have a bigger budget for shopping and possibly be able to add more children to the shopping event.”
With an early-December date set for the shopping event, Lancaster said she hopes to put smiles on more faces this year.
Russell Barnes, a United Bank Vice President and Branch Manager, said the donation is one the Foundation is happy to make.
“We have been making donations to Ms. Lancaster’s charity for a few years,” Barnes said. “She reached out to our Charitable Foundation and they agreed to help with additional funds for the project.”
Barnes said the $2,400 donation by the Foundation will go a long way to help make holiday wishes come true for children this Christmas season.
Anna Bell’s Attic Ministries, Inc., is a non-profit organization founded to honor Lancaster’s maternal grandmother, Anna Bell Quarter. The organization’s namesake was known throughout the community where she lived in Freemanville as one who helped others along the way. She was a wife and a mother to 11 children. She was just two months away from her 100th birthday when she passed away. Established Jan. 23, 2021, Anna Bell’s Attic Ministries is an outreach ministry which gives to those in need or have hardships. The organization provides clothing, shoes, furniture, toiletries, etc., and has a limited pantry on site at the East Brewton location. Striving to exemplify Anna Bell’s spirit of giving, the group also provides spiritual materials to their patrons.
Lancaster said the Children’s Christmas Wish List Project sponsors underprivileged children from the Escambia County Department of Human Resources. The project culminates with a shopping trip with the children to Walmart in December.
“Our project focus is to provide a friendly shopping experience and for children to get some items they desire for the Christmas season,” Lancaster said. “We want to provide for children who otherwise would not have the means of receiving toys, clothing, etc., for the Christmas season.”
Donations are welcome at Anna Bell’s Attic Ministries, Inc. To donate, or for information about the organization, contact Lancaster at 251-363-1605 or visit them at www.abaminc.org.