County gives boost to local charities.

Eight local organizations are deciding what to do with some big checks after receiving a share of almost $82,000 distributed by the Donley County Commissioners’ Court last month.

The 100th Judicial District Adult Probation Department presented the money to the county on February 8. It was one-fifth of the donations collected from participants in lieu of performing community service hours for about 15 years prior to March 2008.
County Judge Jack Hall said the donations were one-time gifts.

“It was a good thing and helped a lot of worthy causes,” Hall said. “The commissioners had several applicants for the money, and they reviewed all of them before making their decisions.
The organization receiving the highest donation of $22,000 was the Hedley Senior Citizens Center.

“We’re putting the money in our fund for our new building,” said Kathy Spier, bookkeeper of the Center. “We’re currently working in a 105-year-old building, and we need a new one that can also be used as a community building. But if we need it to feed the elderly, we will definitely use it for that.”

The Donley County Junior Livestock Association also received a large donation of $20,000 and will use it to finish the new Donley County Activity Center located north of Clarendon.

“We are going to use the money to complete office areas in the building and get it more functional for the public,” said Larry Gray, Chairman of the Junior Livestock Association Board. “We appreciate all donations.”

Don Stone said that the county’s donation of $20,000 came at the right time for the Donley County Senior Citizens’ Center.

“We will use the money to help feed about 200 people a day,” Stone said. “It is going to be very good to have money to buy groceries because we are losing money every day. We hope to have some left to go towards a sinking system. PRPC wants us to accrue $100,000 in a sinking system to keep the center open in the future. So we lack a whole lot more.”
The Saints’ Roost Museum received a donation of $12,958.

“We are getting some new storm windows for the museum,” Vice President of Finance Genella Eads said. “The donation won’t be enough for all of it, but we are in dire need of them.”
Other non-profit organizations receiving donations from the Commissioners’ Court included the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department Dive Team, $1,000 the Texas Panhandle Chapter of the American Red Cross, $3,000; the Citizen’s Cemetery Association, $1,000; and the Donley County Child Welfare Board, $2,000.