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Tables in Elizabeth Houser’s Country Financial office filled with items for families to help make their Christmas brighter.

•January 6, 20201•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Elizabeth Houser, a Country Financial agent in Sullivan, decided to help make Christmas brighter for families. A few years ago, she started a Facebook group called The Giving Place where people may offer, at no charge, things they no longer need. She logged onto The Giving Place the first of December and asked whether people needed help with Christmas.
She gave people an option of adopting a family. Some also offered to donate money to help buy Christmas gifts for families in need. Others brought in items they no longer needed which could be put to good use.
The Vermilion Metropolitan Enforcement Group went shopping for the effort. Houser’s late husband Tom was head of that unit throughout his career in law enforcement. In total the group was able to help 31 families and 80 children.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story. 


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Elizabeth Houser with some of the toys that were bought or donated to provide Christmas to needy families.

The Red Apple Restaurant waitresses donated to the effort as well. “Families which we have heard from were just overwhelmed,” Houser said and added that her assistant Jorjia Clements was instrumental in helping with the effort.
Some of the leftover items were donated to DOVE. Houser said she thinks she will do this again. “It kept me busy and enjoying Christmas,” she said.
“I just wanted to do something out of the goodness of my heart,” Houser said, “and in the hardest times still help people.”