When it comes to the holidays, I try to make sure my children remember that it’s about giving. But lets face it, for kids it is mostly about the receiving.
That’s OK with adults for the most part, because the joy they get brings us joy.
So it’s nice to hear both about the generosity of so many in town and the joy that it brought to families (including 77 children) struggling this winter.
I asked Southborough Youth and Family Services’ Director Laurie Sugarman-Whittier how the Holiday Giving Program did this year.
For the nineteenth year, Youth and Family Services, in cooperation with the schools, acted as a clearinghouse for holiday donations, identifying and distributing to Southborough families in need.
This year’s Holiday Giving Program did extremely well. We helped an all-time high thirty-seven Southborough families in need of some help over the holiday season.
These families included 134 individuals, 77 of whom were children and teenagers, and the rest parents or custodial grandparents who received help in the forms of gift cards for food, gas, oil, and other household necessities. Many groups, companies, schools and individuals came forward with generous donations.
Thank you so much to all of you! Southborough continues to amaze us with its generosity!
Of course, I can’t help but notice the underlying sad note – families in need were at an all time high. Please, keep them in your thoughts when notices come up about other fundraisers for SYFS programs this year (like Send a Kid to Camp). I’m sure supporting the food pantry year round helps as well.
If you have an interest in more actively supporting Youth and Family Services, click here for more information.
(Image posted to Flickr by One Way Stock)
