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Free Holiday Store Is A Gift

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By JAMIE PILARCZYK, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 15, 2007

SOUTH TAMPA - Looking up at a wall stacked to the ceiling with board games, a pregnant Recia Henry beamed.

"Miracle loves games," Henry said of her 7-year-old daughter.
Hannah Montana wasn't an option. Hungry Hungry Hippos might make the cut. With the Child Abuse Council's Baby Bungalow, 3108 W. Azeele St., packed with toys, choosing the right ones takes a lot of concentration, she said.

Henry, of Ybor City, is a member of the Healthy Start Coalition, which offers services to new and expectant mothers.

From Tuesday through Thursday, the council hosted its annual Holiday Store, where program members shop for free gifts donated by the community. More than 700 children will receive three gifts, stocking stuffers, a stocking and a book, marketing and public relations manager Jessica Whisenant said.

"I'm picking out things I can't afford," Henry said at the store Tuesday. "It's a blessing to come here because they really help."

For information about the Child Abuse Council, go to www.child-abuse-council.org.

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 835-2114 or jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com.

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