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Kerry Mossler has been named Christmas Mother of 2021 by the Prince Edward Christmas Mother (PECM) organization.

“I found out late Friday afternoon that I was the 2021 Christmas Mother,” Mossler said. “I was humbled, thrilled and excited. I love this program! I have volunteered for several years on distribution day.”

“We chose Kerry Mossler as this year’s Christmas Mother because we were searching for someone very community minded and willing to jump in to help, and she was a perfect candidate,” PECM President Lauren Showalter said.

Mossler is head of community engagement at Centra Southside Community Hospital (CSCH). She has been at CSCH for 19 years. Mossler is also a member of the Farmville Rotary Club and the Farmville Lions Club as well as serving on other community boards.

PECM is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide Prince Edward County families in need with toys, books and other gift items during the holiday season, by collecting toys and gifts and setting up a donation day event for parents and children to pick out what they like. The organization was established in 2016 by a small group of women in Prince Edward County who wanted to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

“I am very excited to be this year’s Christmas Mother,” Mossler said. “I have loved volunteering with this organization in the past. It is my favorite event in our community. I hope that we can raise lots of money and collect lots of toys for these families, because this year has been especially tough. We are here to make sure no child is forgotten as we celebrate the holidays in our community.”

She continued, “These last 18 months have been hard on everyone, especially children. Everyone has been affected in some way. I think the Christmas Mother program is more important than ever. We need to bring a little joy and make sure that every child in our community will enjoy a special holiday.”

Mossler said she’s especially looking forward to the main event.

“My favorite part of this event is the actual distribution day,” she said. “It is so exciting to see parents picking out gifts that suit their children. The excitement is contagious. You can really feel the true spirit of Christmas.”

This year’s event will take place with masking and COVID protocols. The distribution will take place by giving out appointments, so only a small number of people will be in the building at a time.

A “Stuff the Truck” event to gather donations will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the former Ruby Tuesday’s at 1807 S. Main St., in Farmville. Haley’s will provide the trucks; the community is asked to load them up with toys for the Christmas Mother distribution.

Distribution will be held Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Firemen’s Sports Arena at 1328 Zion Hill Road in Farmville.

“I hope folks will do a little shopping and help us fill the trucks,” Mossler said.

“I hope that this year people will be extra generous in our community. Most of us have so much to be grateful for, and it feels good to be able to give back a little. It’s a great opportunity for younger children to learn generosity by letting them pick out a gift for someone they don’t even know. The joy truly is more in the giving than receiving.”

If you live in Prince Edward County and believe you could use assistance for your child(ren) during the holidays, please follow the organization’s Facebook page and stay tuned for local announcements about application days. Application forms will be available online at their website pechristmasmother.com, at the schools, at the library and at DSS.

The organization works directly with Prince Edward County Social Services, the public schools, local churches and other nonprofit organizations to identify those in need to ensure they have access to the program that the organization provides. Last year, PECM provided toys and other items for 280 children in the county.

To donate to the PECM, visit pechristmasmother.com/donate; $100 sponsors one child. They also take donations of new toys, books, hats and gloves. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please email the organization at pechristmasmother@gmail.com.