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Alabaster employees work together to wrap presents for children and seniors in need during their lunch break on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Contributed/city of Alabaster)

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – As part of a heartwarming annual tradition, Alabaster employees generously took time during their lunch break to join together and wrap presents for those in need on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Each year, city employees join together for a Christmas gift wrapping party at city hall as they prepare gifts to be sent out to those in need during the holiday season.

“It’s always really heartwarming to go to that event every year (and) to wrap it all,” Alabaster Public Relations Manager Neal Wagner said. “You really get to see the fruits of your labor (and) it’s always good to see a project be a success like that and see so many of your coworkers coming together to wrap (the presents) up and get them ready to load.”

This year, the city of Alabaster saw a truck filled with presents and ready to deliver gifts to more than 150 children and senior citizens which was made possible thanks to donations from employees, community members and funding from participants in the Alabaster Festival of Trees.

A portion of the entry fee for the festival of trees was put toward a combined effort with Shelby Emergency Assistance and local nursing homes that involved the city adopting several families to purchase gifts for during the holiday season. This year, Alabaster was able to raise $6,700 in funds to purchase gifts for the effort, in addition to the various donations that were already collected.

During the gift wrapping process, Alabaster’s human resources department set up various tables representing each child and family and city employees worked at each station to wrap, tape or bag each present.

“It’s really good to see the camaraderie of everyone coming together,” Wagner said. “There’s a smile on everyone’s face (and) we (had) Christmas music going. It really gets you into the Christmas spirit to know that you’re spending time, you’re spending your lunch break to help make Christmas special for a kid or a senior citizen who otherwise may not get anything.”

Wagner expressed his gratitude to the human resources department and HR Director Tracy Worley for their work in organizing the wrapping and make the city’s charitable efforts possible.

“They do a really great job,” Wagner said. “Especially Tracy Worley… she really tries to make it bigger and bigger every year and does a phenomenal job (in) working with Shelby Ridge and SEA… It really wouldn’t be possible without HR.”

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