Sterling Silver Club members are celebrating an anniversary this Christmas season.

Thursday, December 23, 1999

Sterling Silver Club members are celebrating an anniversary this Christmas season.

It’s the fifth anniversary of helping feed the hungry in Mower County and to make Christmas brighter for those left alone.

On Wednesday, Cheryl Retterath and Cheryl Corey, representing the Sterling Silver Club, marked milestones in the organization’s history of community service.

They turned over another generous collection of non-perishable food items to the Salvation Army Austin Corps to help stock the emergency food pantry.

Afterward, they delivered more Christmas presents to local nursing home residents.

Retterath is the executive director of the Sterling Silver Club and Corey is director. The club is sponsored by Sterling State Bank of Austin.

"During the month of December, our club members brought non-perishable food items to the movies we offer at Sterling Shopping Center," Retterath said. "The club has designated the Salvation Army to once again receive the food donations."

Capt. Douglas Yeck, officer in charge of the Salvation Army Austin Corps, expressed the organization’s appreciation.

"This time of the year every donation is appreciated," Yeck said. "We have many requests from the needy for help at Christmastime and through the generosity of so many, those needs can be met."

"However, we have had so many demands for emergency food for families for the last six to eight months, that we had to ask for early food donations," Yeck said.

"Now, we not only have to meet the Christmas requests, but we know we are going to have more requests from the needy after Christmas and we must meet those needs, too," he said.

Retterath, who also is a vice president at Sterling State Bank, said the organization has 2,382 members. She praised their generosity and understanding the needs that exist with another successful food drive.

But, the club members’ generosity didn’t stop there this holiday season.

Also observing a milestone is the Sterling Silver Club’s Snowman Project.

Now 5 years old, this project invites club members to purchase a gift for residents at local nursing homes.

"With the help of the four nursing homes at St. Mark’s, Sacred Heart, COMFORCARE Good Samaritan Center and Burr Oak, we buy presents for residents," Corey said.

"Anyone who wants to participate selects a Snowman card at the bank with a resident’s name on it and the nursing home staff’s suggestions of possible gift items," Corey said.

"Then, they go shopping and buy a gift," she said.

Twenty-five residents from each of the four nursing homes receives a present courtesy of the Sterling Silver Club members as well as Sterling State Bank staff.