Thanks to donors, Family Crisis children have Christmas gifts

ASHEBORO — The Randolph Family Crisis Center accepted a vanload of toys from Carolina Classic Cars on Dec. 19. Those toys were added to other donated gifts for the holidays from various organizations. 

The gifts will be distributed to 33 families, including 83 children, who are sponsored by the Family Crisis Center.

Candace Bongiovanni, owner of Carolina Classic Cars and The Hot Rod Shop, annually collects toys from the community to provide gifts for Family Crisis Center clients. “This is year five that we’re giving to the Family Crisis Center,” she said. “You have to invest in the community if you have the ability and the wherewithal.”

As Bongiovanni and Alden McNeill unloaded the van, Karla Rivera, human relations manager of the FCC, said, “We appreciate it. This will provide Christmas for the families we sponsor.”

Heather Baker, FCC victim advocate, told Bongiovanni, “It’s great. Thank you so much.”

In a Dec. 15 email, Bongiovanni said, “We are overwhelmed with gratitude and joy as we celebrate the incredible success of the Carolina Classic Cars & The Hot Rod Shop Annual Toy Drive. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we collected an amazing number of toys that will help bring smiles to so many children this holiday season.

“This Friday, we will be delivering the toys to the Randolph Family Crisis Center, a local organization doing vital work right here in our community. Supporting local chapters and families in need is especially important to us, and we would love to continue encouraging our community to keep these organizations in mind during their yearly holiday giving.”