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Wrappers Delight: Parkersburg Woman’s Club Christmas venture a reliable gift for beleaguered shoppers

Barbara Joyce of the GFWC Parkersburg Woman’s Club puts a bow on a gift. The club sets up a gift wrapping station at the mall every Christmas to help shoppers get their gifts wrapped. Money raised from the station helps support club projects in the community. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

VIENNA — Many would-be Santas had a helping hand this holiday thanks to the GFWC Parkersburg Woman’s Club and its annual gift-wrapping station in December at the Grand Central Mall.

As it has done for many years, the non-profit Woman’s Club had the station set up outside of Belk, which was a godsend to many shoppers as they enter the final weekend before Christmas to help get those gifts wrapped.

“We have been here every year since the mall opened doing this project,” said Jody Stewart, co-chair of the Gift Wrapping Committee. “All the money we raise here goes back out into the community in some form or fashion.”

Money raised from the gift wrapping station goes to club projects and scholarships throughout the community, including the Brown Bag/Backpack Program at local schools, Little Libraries throughout the city, Habitat For Humanity, Support the Arts and Christmas gifts for residents at Eagle Pointe Nursing Home and more.

One project getting a lot of focus this year is assisting foster families when they bring a child into their homes, Stewart said.

Jennifer Allen of the GFWC Parkersburg Woman’s Club wraps a gift at the gift wrapping station Sunday at the Grand Central Mall. Club members wrap presents for people as a fundraiser to help raise money for club projects in the community. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“We are focusing a lot on people’s home lives,” she said.

With the Gift Wrap Project, volunteers wrap about every kind of gift that can be imagined.

“We wrap about every shape and size,” Stewart said. “It is based on the size of the package to what they charge.

Wrapping jewelry is $1 a piece, 4-inch gifts like CDs, gift cards and cups is $2 apiece, 8-inch gifts like books is $4 a piece, 15-inch packages like shirts, blouses and pajamas are $6 apiece, 17-inch packages like dresses and jeans are $8 a pieces, 19-ich packages like robes and jackets are $10 apiece and 24-inch packages like coats and blankets are $12. Shoes are $6, boots are $8 and purses are $8. Larger items are priced upon inspection.

The club has gotten a wide variety of customers to have something wrapped.

Steve Lamp of Vienna picks up a present he had wrapped from Jody Stewart of the GFWC Parkersburg Woman’s Club who operates a gift wrapping station at the Grand Central Mall during the holiday season. Club members wrap presents as a fundraiser to support club projects in the community. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Many have numerous gifts, but not the time to wrap them. Some people had 15-20 items to be wrapped, Stewart said.

Steve Lamp of Vienna was having some wrapping done on Sunday and was thankful the service was available.

“It is amazing to have people who are able to wrap for you, especially last-minute,” he said. “As a guy, I am not good at wrapping so this is very convenient and very well worth the money.”

The club has people who look for them every year at the mall, Stewart said, adding sometimes people discover it for the first time and are glad for the service.

The club has tried to have from two to three volunteers at the station during the busier days. Over the past weekend, four volunteers and remained busy.

Jody Stewart, co-chair of the GFWC Parkersburg Woman’s Club Gift Wrapping Committee works on a bow Sunday at the Grand Central Mall. The club sets up a gift wrapping station every year to help Christmas shoppers and help raise money for club projects. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“It is all volunteerism from our club members,” Stewart said. “There are times when we have put in over 600 hours doing this (during the holiday season).

“It can get hectic at times.”

The club started on Dec. 7 to get three weekends in during the season. It will continue until Christmas Eve.

Wrappers are planned through 8 p.m. today and are expected to wrap from around 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve on Tuesday.

“There are so many last-minute shoppers and we get really busy,” Stewart said. “If necessary, we can stay a little later. We like our volunteers to be able to be able to go home so they can enjoy the holidays with their families.”

The project allows the community to see what the Woman’s Club is about and its projects.

“We have developed a relationship with the public in doing this kind of project,” Stewart said. “They see who we are and what we do.

“By doing this, they get to know us and see we are doing good work for charitable causes around the community.”

Organization is required in keeping track of thee gifts from people and making sure they get back what they brought in to wrap, Stewart said.

She has been doing this for 15 years and the largest item they ever wrapped was a safe. The people who brought it in had to move it about so the ladies could wrap it because it was so heavy.

They have wrapped golf clubs and a golf bag and so many different items, she said.

The club buys supplies including wrapping paper and tape and members make their own bows. The mall provides tables and the space to do it.

The club always takes an inventory of what they have at the end of the season so they can stock up and be prepared for next year.

“We are always looking for new members who are looking for volunteer opportunities in the community,” Stewart said.

Anyone wanting more information on the club can call (304) 483-1393.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com

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