1. A big shout-out this morning to the students in the software and game development program at the Careerline Tech Center in Holland.
Every year for the last decade they've organized a Toys For Tots campaign as a service project - handling the collection, promotion and organization of it all.
This year they collected nearly 300 toys that will go to local children. The students say they do this simply because they like to help others.
2. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at one local shelter in Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries is working around the clock to make sure families in need have something special under the tree.
With the help of community members and local donations, the shelter will be providing 59 families with free gifts.
Not only will children receive new toys, but they will receive new clothes.
All gifts are wrapped by volunteers and the parents pick the gifts up on Christmas Eve.
3. A Kalamazoo restaurant is preparing to feed those in need in Kalamazoo on Christmas Day, making sure no family goes hungry on the holiday.
Blue Dolphin is ready to serve free holiday meals for its 44th year, for the first time indoors since COVID.
The event runs from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Christmas Day. They'll have 100 volunteers helping to serve around 1,300 meals that includes prime rib, ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread, and rice pudding.
Registration isn't required, you just show up at the restaurant, and wait to be served.
4. For all of you out there with live Christmas trees - sometimes you're ready to toss it out immediately after Christmas. Well, if you live in Grand Rapids, there are some easy, environmentally friendly ways to trash the tree.
You can either drop it off or use the fee-based curbside pickup. The trees will all be recycled through chipping and used for landscaping.
The drop-off sites are open December 30- January 31, or you can take it to the compost and yard waste site open year-round. For all of this information and locations, head to fox17online.com.
5. Popeyes is celebrating the holidays by offering free chicken sandwiches for the rest of the year.
Customers who buy a chicken sandwich combo will get another sandwich for free.
But there is a catch: To get the deal customers to have to place their order through the Popeyes app.
It's only available for delivery or mobile-order pick-up.
