Right: Friends of Southborough Youth and Family Services are again collecting gift cards to help families in need through the holidays. (Image posted to Flickr by One Way Stock)
It’s “Giving Tuesday”, which makes it a good time to remind readers of Southborough’s Holiday Giving Program.
The program is run by Southborough Youth and Family Services. Each year SYFS coordinates a collection of gifts and monetary donations to spread holiday cheer to financially struggling neighbors. They are expecting to again help over 40 families with children that are struggling this holiday season.
Every year, Southborough residents generously donate to the program. Some donate through programs coordinated by SOS through the schools. Others donate through community groups or other private collections. (This year, you might even have gotten an evite!)
If you haven’t received an invitation to donate this year, here’s some ways you can participate through the Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission:
- Mail in a gift card or check (c/o Southborough Town House, 17 Common St)
- Drop a gift card or check in the locked drop box in front of the Town House
- Make a tax deductable donation online through Paypal.
Donations in any amount are appreciated. Gift cards can be to department stores like Target and Walmart, grocery stores like Stop and Shop, Price Choppers, BJ’s, clothing stores like TJ
Maxx/Marshalls or Old Navy, or even prepaid gasoline cards.
To help make a difference for families this holiday season, please act by December 6th.
Below is a request for help by SYFS in a past year on the blog, explaining the importance of this program:
Southborough Youth and Family Services, with support from Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission, is preparing for this year’s Holiday Giving program.
Although so many residents of Southborough are fortunate enough to have plenty during the holiday season, there are some among us who barely have enough to make it through the week. There are many reasons why families find themselves in staggeringly difficult situations but there is one thing that they all have in common: children.
Because of the severely limited resources these families face, the children are at risk of having a very insubstantial holiday. For some, it means nothing at all. When bills are due, medicines are needed, groceries are necessary and all the incidentals required to live, Christmas is sadly the last thing on a family’s list.
It is for this reason that we arrange our Holiday Giving Program to quietly provide necessities and gifts to families in need. We confidentially work with families to learn what necessities are lacking such as groceries, gas, and medications. We also find out a few specific gifts that would otherwise be unattainable to bring holiday joy to the children. We have been lucky to count on a number of wonderful donors over the years to fulfill those family’s wants and needs but as is normal, a few of our donors are no longer able to support our program. With over 40 families in need of assistance, we need as many community helpers that we can find.
Please consider making the families working with Southborough Youth and Family Services a part of your holidays. Your generosity will bring so much happiness to families during what can be a difficult season.
If you have questions about the program, please contact SYFS’ Shannon Kinayman (skinayman@southboroughma.com or 508-481-5676).
