Radio Station Donates to Families in Need

Thanks to a local radio station and its generous listeners, many area needy families will be celebrating Christmas with full bellies and a few gifts under the tree.

KHRT, a Christian broadcaster with several radio stations in North Dakota, puts out a call on-air for folks to nominate area needy families who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford Christmas. Their listeners then submit the names and the ages of any children in the household to the radio station, and with the help of area businesses, the faith-based radio station puts together special gifts of food and toys for deserving families.

The process is almost completely anonymous. The packages are put together and then numbered. An area church receives the marked boxes and a list of names which correlate to the codes. The pastor then contacts the recepient and together they set up a private time in which to pick up their goodies.

Although the company is based in Minot, N.D., the promotion is not limited to Minot. This year families were nominated as far away as Harvey, N.D., which is 75 miles from Minot. The family receives two boxes laden with dry food products, such as boxes of macaroni and cheese, cans of tuna, Hamburger Helper, cans of vegetables and fruit, jelly... the list goes on. They also include a small bag of toys, a turkey, a half-gallon of milk, 10 pounds of potatoes, eggs, onions, butter, and a Bible. Not only does this promotion help the needy, it also gives the local churches a chance to reach out to someone who may need to take comfort in the Lord and find some healing of their own.

According to the letter accompanying the gifts, KHRT started their 'Horn of Plenty' promotion "in November of 1984, but really, 2,000 years ago in a manger. It began when God looked down on this world and so loved it He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

The spirit of Christmas is evident in the now-joyful mothers who are able to feed their families, the elderly who won't go hungry, the kids who have presents to open, and all the men, women, and children who are able to have the very merriest of Christmases this year.

KHRT, aptly pronounced K-Heart, is part of Faith Broadcasting Inc., and has stations in Minot, N.D. (106.9 FM and 1320 AM), Williston, N.D. (102.7 FM), and Stanley, N.D. (92.3 FM).