GREENE – The Christmas Basket Project, organized by the Greene Rotary Club, is set to deliver boxes of food, clothing and in some cases toys, to families in need on Dec. 22. One hundred and seven families have signed up and been “adopted” by various members of the community, in an effort to make sure as many people as possible have a pleasantholiday season.

“The community has been doing this for as long as I have been alive,” said Rotary Club President and Christmas Basket Project lead organizer Paula Estabrook. “We do it with the help of the whole community. Everyone helps out, and when I say everyone, I mean literally everyone.”

The “adoption” process begins each year when families in the Greene community, large or small, fill out an application with the Rotary Club indicating what they need the most this holiday season. “It can be groceries, toys, blankets ... really whatever they need,” said Estabrook.

All sorts of community organizations pitch in to make sure the basket project is a success each year, such as local businesses, scout troops, and churches. As per tradition, the Greene High School commits to a canned food drive, with individual classes competing against one another to see who can collect the largest number of cans with the winner receiving a prize.