A young family could use some help for the holidays as they head into a big year.
And Operation Holiday could help Dana from Norristown, and young families like hers, have a happy holiday season as they struggle to make ends meet.
“I have a three-year-old son who is on the spectrum, so I spend a lot of my time taking him to therapy. I also work as much as I can — affording childcare has been very difficult for us,” she said.
Dana's husband works full time, and her job in massage therapy is “very unstable, because of the economy — which is why I'm going back to school, for radiology, to hopefully get a more secure job.”
“The economy has just hit us really hard. We ran behind on a lot of bills, and just trying to get food in the house is very difficult. I'm just working as much as I can, while trying to afford to send my son to school, and trying to further my education to get a better job,” Dana said.
That's where Operation Holiday partner Montgomery County Community College comes in: She was able to apply past college courses toward her new degree, and right now she's taking math and science courses with the goal of getting into their radiology program.
“I just finished my first semester at Montco, and I'm ending it with an A+ and a B+, so very happy about that. I'm doing it online as much as I can, just because it's a lot more flexible with having a child,” she said.
What would her son like for the holidays?
“He loves crafts, he loves anything with numbers and letters. He loves spelling out his name, that's his new big skill: he'll just walk around, spelling his name out,” she said.
“He loves Disney: he's a major Mickey (Mouse) fan, and he's always saying ‘Mickey, Mickey.' He's speech-delayed, so that's a very big milestone for him.”
What would she tell someone who's considering donating to Operation Holiday?
“It's very hard right now, for a lot of families. It's hard to navigate as a parent, especially working in an industry that is being impacted by the economy very harshly right now. We are really working hard, just to make sure we have the best support for our kids. Just working to make sure our kids have the best.”
History
Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families going through tough times provide something for their children during the holidays. The mission of the program is to make sure there is food on the table and gifts under the tree when Christmas morning comes.
Now in its 34th year, the program has served thousands of families throughout Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, expanding its reach in recent years to include communities served by readers of the Reading News, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News.
Nearly $90,000 in donations last year provided food and gifts for 419 children and 184 families, plus cash donations to food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
This year, Operation Holiday has partnered with 17 agencies in the tri-county area. Agencies have referred 189 families with 366 children for gifts and food.
There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a nonprofit foundation account managed by staff of readingnews.us newspapers who volunteer their time.
Gift cards to area grocery stores are provided to each family for food, so that they can purchase the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the pantry. Weis Markets is a partner with Operation Holiday and has assisted with food purchases and gift cards.
Gift cards for every child in the program 16 years of age or younger are purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with the referring agencies so that families can purchase gifts of their choice.
Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency. Operation Holiday is funded solely by reader contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.
How to donate
Online donations are being accepted in a secure portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork.org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday.
Contributions also can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to PO Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 34 Susquehanna Ave., Suite 100, Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading, PA 19607.
The names of all contributors are published in the participating newspapers as donations are received. Please note whether a contribution should be designated as anonymous or given in tribute or in memory of someone.