In addition, recipients also can get Christmas boxes filled with such things as oranges, potatoes, celery, cookies and more, as well as a turkey or ham, so they have the fixings for an entire meal.

For her part, Dudley is impressed with the generosity of the lawyers in this area.

"I think they're loaded with the giving spirit — they do their job," Dudley said.

Burningham, too, said he is always heartened by the level of giving that his fellow attorneys, paralegals and legal secretaries display on the day scheduled for collecting the holiday goods.

"Lots of people this year brought brand-new socks, shirts, packages, there were a lot of new children's things, coats ... there was a lot of food, a lot of toys, movies for kids," Burningham said.

Many arrive simply with checks in hand — and they're eager for an opportunity to say hello.

Just knowing that someone's holiday is better is a great reward, Burningham said. "The person making the gift always feels better than the person who gets it," he said. "The people who get it need it and they appreciate it."

A Taylorsville woman named Jan certainly appreciated what she was getting when she was looking this week for clothes for her disabled husband and two children, ages 8 and 9, at the Eagle Ranch Ministries' distribution center.

"Without this, my children wouldn't be getting any warm clothes for winter," she said. "Due to a fall on the ice last year, I became disabled, and it's been a difficult year for my family."

Her husband has been disabled for 15 years, and while her children believe in Santa Claus, money is scarce.

"This is awesome," she said, reaching for various children's clothes held in a large bin. "This is for Christmas day. We'll be wrapping them up, and they'll be from Santa. They'll be well-used."

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com