DARKE COUNTY - The challenge is on to do even better this year for the Community Christmas Drive as it is set to launch soon.

Starting after Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 23 and 24, the Darke County Community Christmas Drive will once again have volunteer bell-ringers collecting donations to help the needy at 11 different locations throughout the county.

The effort will continue on through every Friday and Saturday until Christmas; thus, it will be done on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22.

In Greenville, donations will be accepted at Kroger, the KitchenAid Experience, Eikenberry’s IGA, Kmart, JC Penney, Big Lots and both entrances at the Wal-Mart Super Center, typically between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Donations can also be made at Sutton’s Super Valu in Arcanum, Greenville National Bank in Ansonia and Farmer’s State Bank in New Madison.

Churches helping with the bell ringing include St. John Lutheran Church, Oakland Church of the Brethren, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Coletown Christian, Greenville Missionary, St. Paul United Church of Christ, St. Paul Lutheran, St. Paul Episcopal, Grace Brethren, Bible Fellowship, Stelvideo Christian, East Zion, Fort Jefferson United Methodist, Evangelical United Methodist, Greenville Church of the Brethren, Christian and Missionary Alliance, First Congregational Christian, First United Methodist First Presbyterian, Beamsville and the Cedar Grove Church of the Brethren.

Also helping out will be Greenville Kiwanis, Club, Greenville Rotary Club, Greenville Lions Club, Greenville National Bank the DeColores Montessori Junior High Farm School and the Darke County Association of Realtors. In Arcanum, those helping out include the Castine Church of the Brethren, as well as various other churches and organizations.

Last year, it was reported, people generously helped set a new record by giving a grand total of $29,691.09, which helped 181 families receive food vouchers. Applications for food vouchers, which need to be in by Dec. 14, can be picked up at Community Action Partnership, Job and Family Services or Community Unity.

This year, funds will be going to help the good work of FISH, Community Unity and Grace Resurrection Community Center, in addition to the food banks in Ansonia, Arcanum and Castine.

All of the volunteers are unpaid and all of the proceeds remain in Darke County, it was noted.

While donations can be made at any of the kettles located through the county, contributions can also be made to the Darke County Community Christmas Drive at P.O. Box 74, Greenville, OH 45331.

Anyone with question or any churches or organizations wanting to help out may contact co-chairmen Joe Soley at 937-547-0533, John Person at 937-548-3188 or Jim Morehouse at 937-547-1557.