After worries last week that there would be a shortfall of gift donations for Share the Spirit, Homer’s elves came through. By Friday morning, all the “ornaments” — gift wish-lists for families hung on trees around town — had been picked up, said Share the Spirit co-coordinator Shari Daugherty. During a lull in activity at the gift wrapping and food box preparation at Homer High School, Daugherty said that after word went out about a shortfall in gift donations, in a high tide of goodwill, people began picking up the wish lists.

One anonymous person picked up all the gift cards at Timeless Toys and other anonymous person got the cards at the Homer Bookstore. Share the Spirit could barely keep up with the demand for people wanting to pick up wish-list ornaments.

“There was this locust effect at Ulmer’s,” Daugherty said as people snatched up wish lists there.

On Thursday morning when Ulmer’s opened, there was a line of people wanting to pick up wish-list ornaments again. Daugherty said she had to scramble to collect all unfilled wish lists.

While the gift shopping has been done, Share the Spirit will still take donations of food. On Friday in the high school commons, volunteers filled and packed boxes of food. Boxes will be double-stuffed if there is extra food, and any left over food will go the Homer Community Food Pantry, Daugherty said. Donations are needed for chicken, hamburger and “meal in a can” items, she said. The food preparation will go on today until 5 p.m., and donations can be dropped off there.

Share the Spirit is Homer’s longtime, home-grown annual holiday fundraiser to provide Christmas gifts and meals for families in need.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.