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Andrea Johnson/MDN Toys were donated by the Magic City Lions for the toy stores at the Minot Area Homeless Coalition and Minot Community Action this Christmas. Parents will be able to choose a few toys that their children will like as Christmas gifts. Pictured are Christy Miller, a Lions member, and Karrie Christensen from the Homeless Coalition and Willy Soderholm from Community Action. Christensen and Soderholm picked up the donated toys from the Souris Valley United Way office on Wednesday.

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Andrea Johnson/MDN From left to right, Don Trueblood and Kathy Aas from Xcel Energy, and, far right, Vickie Hiller from Xcel Energy presented a $10,000 check from Xcel to Souris Valley United Way executive director Rich Berg, center, for COVID-19 relief on Wednesday.

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The ongoing coronavirus pandemic means more charities than before have been seeking help from the Souris Valley United Way, said executive director Rich Berg, and the Minot community has been generous.

This week Xcel Energy stepped up and donated an additional $10,000 on top of the amount the company normally donates to United Way. Kathy Aas, community relations manager for Xcel, said the $10,000 donation is geared specifically toward COVID-19 relief such as food and shelter. Berg said the donation is greatly appreciated and will help United Way get closer to its fundraising goal for the year.

United Way provides funding to about 20 different organizations in the area that help the needy.

The United Way is continuing its annual fundraising campaign through the end of January. Berg said it is a greater challenge this year because more people have been working from home and are not as available to sign up for payroll deductions or other contributions through their employers. People in general have less disposable income because of the pandemic, he said.

Christy Miller, an outreach specialist at United Way and a member of the Magic City Lions, said Lions members have also helped fill in the gap for Christmas food drives this year. Lions members bought toys for needy children in the area that will be available for parents to choose from at the annual Christmas toy stores offered by the Minot Area Homeless Coalition and at Community Action. The pile of toys ranged from dolls from the movie Frozen and from the cartoon Toy Story to electronics and warm outer clothing. “Frozen” is big this Christmas for little girls as it has been in past years. The gifts from the Lions will help ensure that Christmas looks a little closer to normal for families that are in need of a helping hand. Community Action and the Homeless Coalition have also seen increased need in the area.