Photo by Deb Gau Lyon County Heart to Heart volunteers, including Pat Bauman (at far left) and Jo Schroepfer (center), form a relay to pick up wrapped gifts for area families during Saturday’s distribution.

MARSHALL — Everything was ready for Lyon County Heart to Heart to help make people’s holidays brighter. Wrapped presents were stacked on tables, and an assembly line of food boxes was set up. The only difference was the location.

With the National Guard Armory in Marshall under construction this year, Heart to Heart found a new distribution center at Southwest Minnesota State University.

“We’ve kept it pretty close to what it’s been,” said Denise Schneekloth of Lyon County Heart to Heart. “We made it work.”

Over the weekend, volunteers helped distribute Christmas gifts and food packages to more than 500 area families.

“We do have about 400 families that we’re going to be serving today,” Schneekloth told volunteers Saturday morning. “There were 150 deliveries yesterday.”

“It makes you feel good,” volunteer Diane Stieper said about helping with Heart to Heart.

For many years, the Armory gymnasium had been the place where Heart to Heart wrapped, sorted and distributed holiday gifts and care packages. But this year, the Armory closed down for some major renovations and a building expansion.

Schneekloth said Heart to Heart looked for new possible distribution centers. Organizers looked at factors like available space, accessibility and parking before deciding on the SMSU conference center.

“This seemed to be the best fit,” Schneekloth said. “The university has been great to work with.”

The lower level conference center was smaller than the Armory gymnasium, but on Saturday Heart to Heart workers were still able to set up their usual system for distributing gifts and meals. A relay of volunteers with shopping carts picked up each family’s packages. Outside, more volunteers helped direct traffic, and a shuttle van helped bring people from the SMSU parking lot to the distribution area.

Some Heart to Heart volunteers were regulars. Deb Anderson said she had been helping Heart to Heart for many years. Besides helping distribute gifts on Saturday, she said, she had also helped wrap gifts on a couple of days.

“You just feel like you’re giving back to the community,” Anderson said.

Several volunteers said they liked having a chance to help others. Stieper said she had volunteered with Heart to Heart in the past, usually by working at the front registration desk. This year, she joined Jheri Broadnax and Tiffany Leach in helping to fill shopping carts in the back room.

Broadnax said volunteering was something she had decided to get into more after her 30th birthday.

“I like helping,” she said.

It takes a lot of people, from volunteers to the groups and individuals who donate gifts and food, to fulfill Lyon County Heart to Heart’s mission every year.

“This is an incredible operation,” Schneekloth said.