POTTER -- Tami Hawthorne, who works at the Potter Sundry, had an idea to promote people helping people ... and it worked beyond expectations.

A collection box was set near the entrance to the Sundry encouraging patrons to donate clothes and toys for families in need. The collection drive started about the beginning of December.

The concept started with a previous experience of Hawthorne's.

"It's just something that I'd done before where I'm from, and I just thought we would put a box out and see what we could get from donate from Potter, and Sidney and Kimball. Everybody has donated tons of things. So we just put the box out and hoped for the best," Hawthorne said recently.

The response from the communities was far beyond what was expected, according to Potter Sundry owner Missy Marsh.

"It was amazing. We collected 30 boxes and bags of clothing, and toiletries, and kids toys ... pretty much everything," Marsh said. 

The collection drive accepted anything, new or used. Hawthorne said everything was cleaned before being made available.

"All the clothes we took home and washed. The toys that we had we cleaned up, and anything was accepted; anything,"  she said.

This is the first time Marsh and Hawthorne can recall the Potter community, and the Sundry specifically, doing a clothing drive during Christmas, and they hope it isn't the last.