T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA GROUP Belmont Hills Country Club delivers gifts to one area family in need. From left are club President Bryan Woodford and Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services case managers Deasia Burney, Ed Braun, Jennifer Fietz, Lauren Battistone and Emily Cominsky

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — With the holiday season underway, this time of year can be difficult for some individuals.

So, in the spirit of the holidays, Belmont Hills Country Club decided to step up and help one local family.

“We value the importance of community, as it is one of our core values,” club President Bryan Woodford said. “We’re dedicated to supporting local organizations and initiatives that make a positive impact in our area.”

Woodford contacted Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services case manager Jennifer Fietz in early November to see if the club would be able to sponsor a family during the holiday season. Fietz informed Woodford that she had a family that would be a perfect fit for the club to sponsor.

“It’s a single parent with five children, and they hooked them up pretty well,” Fietz said.

She added that DJFS receives several donations from businesses and organizations yearly but said that this is the first time the country club has donated such a large amount of presents to a specific family. She applauded the club for making the generous donation to the family and believes that because of the club, this family’s Christmas will be a smashing success.

“We don’t get donations for kids in foster care. We pay the foster parents and give them a gift card to go towards presents for those kids,” she said.

She added that when a specific family is sponsored through DJFS, it’s a parent or parents who still have their children living with them in the home but are in need of assistance. She added that the family the club sponsored is headed by the children’s biological mother, who has had difficulties in the past but is maintaining. According to Fietz, although the individual has been improving the family has fallen on hard times and Fietz wanted to step in to ensure that the family has a nice Christmas.

Fietz added that this time of year is difficult for many families. She said she receives countless calls throughout the holiday season asking for assistance.

“This time of year we get a lot of calls from people seeing if there’s anything that we can do to help them, and a lot of the time we will take stuff to them or have them come to our agency,” Fietz said.

She added that all of the donations given to DJFS are placed in its facility’s lunchroom and the children will be allowed to go through the lunchroom and take whatever items they like.

Fietz said that DJFS relies on donations during this time of year to ensure children get Christmas gifts.

“It’s important because a lot of people do call us, especially at the last minute, and say they have nothing,” she said. “So we help them with whatever gifts or resource funds we have available. We spread that around the community if people in need let us know.”

With Christmas only being days away, Fietz said if a family has an emergency such as a house fire, the family can reach out at 740-695-1075 to receive help.

“Belmont Hills Country Club has been in the local community for 100 years, and as we celebrate our centennial anniversary we recognize that many of our successes are a direct reflection of the support of our local community members,” Woodford said. “During this holiday season, many Belmont Hills Country Club members wanted to show their appreciation by helping to sponsor local families that are in need. As a result of membership donations, we were able to sponsor five local children to ensure they are able to have a special and memorable Christmas.”