In a week, many of us will be sitting down with family and friends, celebrating Christmas and giving out gifts. Some in our community are giving presents that won't be wrapped or placed under a tree.
Thomas Hill with the United Way of Cass-Clay says, "Oh my gosh, it's like the best Christmas gift ever!"
It's a part of childhood, and a part of growing up. Learning to read is the foundation of a child's education and future. And in order to buy books, you need money. But the spirit of Christmas is helping.
Hill says, "It's removing a financial barrier for parents to access this quality programming."
The United Way received a large holiday donation and is giving some of it here... To the YMCA Childcare Center.
And the kids' favorite part of the donation: more books and more story time.
"We're actually just thrilled," says Hill.
It may not look like Santa's workshop, but it's the closest thing to it in Fargo. Bell State Bank has a Pay It Forward program where all of their employees get $1000 to donate. And this year, on top of that, employees get an extra thousand to give to someone else to Pay It Forward.
Hill says, "It makes me really feel good about being part of the United Way, but also part of this community, knowing that those, like the ones at Bell State Bank & Trust, care about giving back and investing in our community."
It's a Christmas gift totaling $1.5 million and countless smiles.
This is the fifth year Bell State Bank has done their Pay It Forward program. Employees can give their donation to any charity worldwide.
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