From left, Esther Swain of Swanton St. Richard, Nicole Krempec of Maumee St. Joseph, Johnette Peters of Toledo Little Flower, Marissa Callicotte of Swanton St. Richard and Gwen Swain of Swanton St. Richard stop by the Catholic Center to drop off Christmas presents donated by members of the Challenge Girls Club of Toledo. The club sponsored four needy families for Christmas through Project Bethlehem, a program of Catholic Charities. (Chronicle photo by Laurie Stevens Bertke)

“At one point, we had more sponsors than we had families,” says Tanya Seldon, one of the coordinators of Project Bethlehem. “We went over and above what we thought we were going to do.”

Thirty sponsors, including individuals, businesses, parishes, schools and other organizations, donated gifts that went to 200 individuals this year.

The program assisted clients of Catholic Charities programs and also accommodated walk-in requests. Some of the extra items also went to students of Central City Ministry of Toledo School.

Most clients did not even request gifts on their forms, but simply asked for food, according to Ms. Seldon.  Many “just broke down and cried” when they arrived at the Catholic Center and saw all the gifts waiting for them, she adds.

Ms. Seldon recalls one woman asked, “Are you sure they didn’t give me all this by mistake?”