DAYTON–The generous, giving nature of this community again will warm the hearts and souls of everyone, givers and recipients alike, who have dug deep to make a brighter holiday for the less fortunate in the area.

The floor around the Giving Tree, prominently displayed in the front corner of Dingle's of Dayton, is once again stuffed with gifts and packages, so many that they cascade out into the aisles of Dayton's unique country store.

The Giving Tree is a local, grass-roots program with a simple process: word it put out through the schools and other channels, families relay their circumstances, and a list is compiled by volunteers, who match families with individual donors.

This Christmas some 34 families were served, including around 100 children. Presents have been coming in to Dingle's over the previous weeks, said Giving Tree coordinator Anndria Anderson.

Generous citizens stopped by the store after Thanksgiving and choose one or more of the families from ornaments on the tree, then off they go, shopping for the children.

The number of donors is unknown since some take more than one family, Anderson, who has been coordinating the Giving Tree the past ten years or so.

Dayton and Columbia County residents have big, generous hearts, Anderson says.

Gift recipients trekked to Dingle's on Thursday, December 15, to pick up the presents awaiting there.

The project started several years ago with Dan and Rosy Nechodom and was located at the Country Cupboard Bakery. When the Nechodoms passed the baton to Anderson, and the bakery location was no longer available, Betzler and Dingle's of Dayton volunteered window space to provide a place for the tree.