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VALLEY — Ray Edwards’ annual Christmas stocking distribution began Wednesday morning and will continue through Friday. A total of 462 stockings will be delivered to local homebound seniors or given away at local senior centers. Edwards and family members have been doing this for more than three decades now. He started it when he was serving on the Valley City Council and is now continuing it as he’s serving as board chairman of the Alabama Department of Senior Services.

Despite the fact that 2024 has been a difficult year for him personally he is giving away more stockings this year than he ever has.

“It’s been a tough year,” he said Wednesday morning on his first stop at the Valley Senior Center. “I lost my grandson T.J. Yates and my wife Jackie went to assisted living. This is the first Christmas season they haven’t been at home with me for a long, long time.”

Giving out the stockings is always a happy time. For most people, Christmas is a fun time of year, and everyone was laughing and smiling as the stockings were being given out at the Valley center at 10 a.m. and in Lanett an hour later.

Each red and white stocking has two applies, two oranges, a handful of small peppermint candy, some candy canes, some hard candy, a ballpoint pen, hand sanitizer, socks, gloves, Christmas ornaments, a praying hands coin and a Christian cross that can be worn around the neck. Each senior also received a gift bag with items such as puzzle books and a 2025 calendar from SouthState Bank.

“I couldn’t do this without the help of a lot of people,” Edwards said. “A group of volunteers including Carol Fulcomer, Al and LilaMae Daughtrey, Bobbie Holley. Amy Heatherley, Rev. Michael Stiggers, County Commissioner Debra Riley and LaFayette City Councilman Toney Thomas helped me fill the stockings on Monday in the back at Timeless Antiques. I appreciate their help so much. Debra Riley, State Representative Debbie Wood and her husband Bobby Wood along with my great grandson Gavin Walden are helping me today in Lanett and Valley.”

The most stockings to be delivered to one group goes to Valley seniors who are homebound. A total of 100 stockings were delivered to them by city buses Wednesday morning. 

Another fifty Valley seniors take part in the Monday through Friday congregate program at Valley Senior Center. They received their stockings Wednesday morning at the senior center. Valley Parks & Recreation Director Laurie Blount and Valley Senior Center Manager Kelsey Overby helped in giving them out inside the Donald Perry Williams Activity Room.

Overby thanked Edwards for what he does for seniors, not just with the Christmas stocking distribution but also as board chairman with the ADSS, which is responsible for the meal programs that benefit Alabama seniors.

On the stop at Lanett, Edwards was thanked by Senior Center Manager Sandra Thornton for what he does for seniors. both locally and statewide. She also thanked members of the local legislative delegation, State Reps. Debbie Wood and Bob Fincher and State Senator Randy Price, for what they do to help older people in the state. 

“We are blessed to have people who work hard for us every day,” Thornton said. “They have helped us with a lot of improvements we’ve had this year at the center. We have gotten new computers, desks, carpeting, big screen TVs, a new sound system and books for our library. I also want to thank Mayor Jamie Heard. He is very supportive of us as well.”

Edwards also commended Mayor Heard on the job he’s doing in Lanett.

Mayor Heard told the seniors that Lanett will be a beneficiary of a new home improvement program for seniors next year and encouraged them to take part in it. 

If the head of household is on Social Security and the house being lived in is in their name they may be eligible for energy efficiency improvements such as new windows and doors and new air conditioning.

Lanett will be a host site for this Groundswell project.

“I encourage you to contact us about this,” the mayor said. “Hopefully, we can come and check out your home.”

“That’s awesome!” Thornton said. “Let’s take advantage of this. You can get some improvements for your home, and you won’t have to sign it over to anyone.”

Edwards will be making a stop at the LaFayette Senior Center at 11 a.m. CST on Thursday. He’ll be making several stops on Friday. He will be at the Beulah Senior Center at 10 a.m. CST and at Sylvia Word Manor at 1 p.m. EST. The final stop for this year will be at Valley Park Manor Assisted Living and Memory Care.