I just wanted to let people know about some changes with the program this year - in case you did not read it in the Miles City Star. This year we are still having the program!!!! However there WILL NOT be any applications mailed to you. You must go pick up an application and fill it out completely and mail it back if you want to participate in this program. We will take applications as long as they are postmarked by DECEMBER 1st!!!!!! The applications can be picked up at the Office of Public Assistance, the WIC office, Custer County Health Department or Custer County Community Health. You must fill out the application completely or you will not receive gifts. If you are interested in donating to our program you can mail donations to Empty Stockings PO Box 1584 Miles City, MT 59301 or you can drop off NEW gifts at the Elks on December 5th from 4PM-7PM or December 7th from 9AM-12PM. If you have questions please respond on here or send an email to [email protected] Thank you Miles City for making Christmas a little brighter for some of those less fortunate in our community.

Will you be helping out families and the elderly this year also or just children under eighteen as the paper stated?
Thank you.

We will also take some elderly as long as applications are postmarked by Dec. 1st....We will consider anyone 60 years of age or older as elderly.

[This message has been edited by Mrs. P (11/21/2013)]

Sixty is not elderly if your husband just turned 60. It is merely middle-aged. Provided you live to be 120! My late mother, who passed away at a youthful 85, always donated and I plan to do so as well. It's a great program for young and perhaps not as young as you used to be.

I was thinking about setting it to 65 since that is where most businesses give a Senior Discount but figured I would have some people mad saying that it was not fair to have it set so high. We just want to try to keep everyone happy and those that want to participate able to. I honestly believe this program should be for those children under the age of 18 and those over 65 unless disabled. Last year we had quite a problem with all the parents requesting gifts. In the past they have mailed out an application to anyone who was receiving assistance from the state, last year it was over 400 families. As of this year we are no longer able to get this list so we are limited on how to reach these families. Had the Miles City Jaycee's not stepped up to take over the program it may have disappeared due the state no longer being allowed to do it. We apologize that we are not running it the way they have in the past but we are doing our best to keep it going in the community because we hate to see such a great program disappear. This year we have not put an income restriction on the program but may have to in the future so that we can be sure this program is being used for what it was designed. We are open to suggestions of how to reach these families and how to qualify families. We are very thankful to those in the community who continue to support this program as for some families it is the only gifts they will receive.

Even though the State can no longer administer the program, is the local Public Assistance office (and other, similar agencies) able to "drop the hint" to families in need? Are they will to put up a poster?

Posters or fliers could be put up at St. Vincent's, the Library, notification could be sent through the schools (perhaps with permission from the Superintendent; I would suspect that teachers would know some students in need), soup kitchen, food bank, etc. (I'm sure the brilliant minds on here can think of more locations).

If you wanted, I would be more than happy to design a poster/flier for handout or display. Could we craft some Press Releases for the paper and the local radio stations? If you would like assistance, please contact me directly at [email protected], or swing into the Library during business hours.

Attention citizens of Miles City. This is the last call for applications for Empty Stockings. All applications must be postmarked by Dec. 1st. You can pick up applications at the Office of Public Assistance, WIC Office, County Health Department or Custer County Community Health Clinic at the VA Hospital 2nd floor. All applications must be mailed in to Empty Stockings PO BOX 1584 Miles City, MT 59301 and have a postmark of DEC. 1st, 2013. We will then call and arrange a day for your gift pickup. There will not be a single day that everyone picks up gifts. If you are interested in donating we will be accepting new items on Dec. 5th from 4-7pm and Dec. 7th from 9am-12pm in the basement of the Elks. Thank you Miles City for your continued support with this program as it goes through some changes. We want to ensure a happy holidays for every family in our community.

Do you have some suggestions for what kind of gifts you are accepting or would like?

Do you also accept financial donations? If so, where can those be sent to?

Just curious. Thanks!

Mail financial donations to Empty Stockings PO BOX 1584 Miles City, MT 59301.

What about disabled people? Do they still qualify?

Yes they just need to fill out application

Great thing to help your neighbors. Wish they did not have a deadline until the second week of December. I do understand the reasoning for December 1st.

We have to have a deadline so that we have time to shop for the families and get the gifts to them in time for Christmas. We will do our best to purchase gifts for late applications but no guarantees can be made that you will receive gifts if you missed the deadline.

Thank you to all that have made any kind of a donation this year! With your generosity we were able to provide to over 200 individuals! We are already looking forward to and planning for next year.

I just got hooked back up to the internet and read that we had to go down and apply for empty stockings. I wondered why we did not get an application. I do not have the money to get the paper and work so much that I do not get to the library. I missed the deadline by a long way. Isn't there any way you can notify the people who need this better? How many others missed out this year because we cannot afford the paper?

We placed applications at the office of assistance, WIC office, county health department and head start this year. We placed applications in these offices starting late October. Next year we will place applications at these offices starting late August and will accept applications until Nov. 1st. So those who want to be part of this program please mark your calendar so you remember to go get an application. We are no longer allowed to mail the applications out so you will have to make an effort to seek out the applications. The reason we chose these offices was we figured anyone receiving assistance would have to visit one of these office at least once during this time period. We are open to ideas of other places we might be allowed to leave applications. Merry Christmas!