Sometimes, timing really is everything.
As a worldwide pandemic increased economic and food insecurity, Operation Holiday was already in the midst of scaling up its operation to help more people in more ways — and just in time for the holidays.
Over the past two years, Operation Holiday, which provides a holiday meal and gifts for children in struggling families, has been expanding its reach, and readers have reached out to respond in kind.
By coordinating with our other newspapers in eastern Montgomery County and throughout all of Chester County, Operation Holiday helped more people in more places last year. This year, with the expansion into Berks County, the number of people helping, and being helped, has grown significantly.
This year, Operation Holiday partnered with 19 agencies in the tri-county area who referred 145 families with 381 children.
As of Christmas Eve, more than $111,575 had been raised from readers of MediaNews Group papers who were touched by the stories written about families facing a tough holiday season, and who have stepped up to help.
As a result of this unprecedented level of fundraising, it won’t just be the families identified by Operation Holiday’s partner agencies who will be helped this year. Like last year, area food banks will receive cash donations from Operation Holiday.
“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people this year,” said Nancy March, former editor of The Mercury and current editor of The Lansdale Reporter, as well as a member of the Operation Holiday board of directors.
“We’ve had some really large donations by individuals, including two $5,000 donations and many $1,000 donations, as well as lots of $50, $100, $200. One person sent us $7 in cash in an envelope, because that’s what they could share. Those gifts are as important as the large checks,” she said.
One reason Operation Holiday is so effective is there is no overhead and all gifts are distributed locally.
All the work of coordinating with agencies, arranging for and delivering gift cards, writing stories, is done on a volunteer basis. So every $1 given gets used to help needy families at the holidays.
“We realize through this program that people look to our newspapers and websites for the opportunity to give locally, knowing their donations help people right here in the towns where we live and work,” said Shelley Meenan, MediaNews Group general manager and one of the leaders of Operation Holiday. “Our role is to tell the stories of families who have fallen on hard times and who are in need so that others understand and have a chance to help.”
“It’s been absolutely wonderful and our families truly appreciate what Operation Holiday has done,” said LeeAnn Rooney, executive director of the Patrician Society, which operates in affiliation with St. Patrick’s Church in Norristown.
This is only the Patrician Society’s second year benefitting from Operation Holiday and Rooney said this year, families are particularly thankful for the $175 gift cards to grocery stores “because food has just become so expensive. Also, those gift cards allow them to buy the things that aren’t covered by food stamps, things like diapers and formula, toothpaste and paper towels, the things we take for granted,” Rooney said.
“Our families are just overwhelmed with joy and they are so impressed. It’s not every day that someone gives them a $175 gift card to buy food for their family,” said Rooney.
In addition to the grocery cards, purchased in partnership with Weis Markets and Giant, each child 16 years of age or younger receives a $100 gift card to Boscov’s that families can use to purchase gifts. Boscov’s has worked with Operation Holiday since its beginning and provides a discount so the donations stretch further.
It’s not just the recipients who are overwhelmed.
Sometimes it happens to members of the Operation Holiday team as well. Just ask Cindy Levan, customer experience manager for MediaNews Group and a member of the Operation Holiday board.
This year it fell to Levan to deliver the gift cards to partner agencies “and I just couldn’t believe how appreciative everyone is. It was overwhelming. They all kept saying how far this money will go,” Levan said.
Patti Paul, who manages the finances for the program, manned a Reading site for donations this year. A Berks resident donated $500 cash in person at the site, saying he wished to remain anonymous and just wanted to make sure children would have enough for Christmas. “That made my holidays,” said Paul.
March said she believes the experience of being in a worldwide pandemic has made people more aware of those in need, how quickly hardship can happen, and how close anyone may be to financial struggle due to circumstances beyond our control.
One reader after reading an article about a particular family’s hardships sent in a $90 gift card to Wal-Mart and wanted to be sure it got to the little girl in the family profiled. “Our counterpart in the agency who deals with that family was very touched, and she said more people seem to be seeing for the first time the need she sees every day,” March said.
“People have become more aware of the need in their own communities,” said March. “It has increased the size of donations. We see a greater desire among our readers to keep their giving local so they can be sure it helps their neighbors who have fallen on hard times, perhaps for the first time.”
Certainly food pantries have seen a huge increase in first-time families as the pandemic drove small businesses under and previously secure families lost their income.
“We are pleased that Operation Holiday can be expanded again this year to give donations to food pantries throughout the region,” said Meenan. “The operators of those pantries tell us that hunger and the struggle to make ends meet continues for many families. The money we can give helps stock those pantries and supply food through the winter.”
Equally as important, it also allows them to make their own choices about their food, said Anissa Jones, administrator for the food pantry at the Cluster of Religious Communities in Pottstown.
Jones was unaware of the pending contribution from Operation Holiday until being contacted by a reporter Thursday. “Really? That’s phenomenal,” she exclaimed.
“We’ve been working toward finding food that fits people’s culture,” Jones said when asked how the donation would be directed.
“It’s hard enough to come in and admit you need help. But instead of seeing the shelves just stocked with hot dogs, or other food your family might not eat, having food available that is familiar, that you would choose for your family, that gives you some agency,” Jones said.
“So we’ve been trying to stock more specialty items, like pita bread, hummus, more Spanish foods, although they can be even more expensive,” Jones said. “But it’s worth it when people come in and get so excited when we have what they need to make, say, arroz con pollo. And that may be their traditional holiday meal, one that we can help them keep.”
Now in its 31st year, Operation Holiday has provided a brighter holiday season to thousands of families with children. More than $70,000 in donations from readers last year allowed the program to provide food and gifts for more than 200 children in need and give additional donations in January to 10 area food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
The mission of Operation Holiday is to ensure that children in local communities have food to eat and gifts to open, no matter how poor or difficult their family situation may be.
There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a non-profit foundation account managed by the staff of MediaNews Group.
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.
Additional 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.
Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency.
Operation Holiday is funded solely by readers’ contributions. All contributions are tax-deductible. 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 can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to PO Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 307 Derstine Ave., 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.
Source: Berkshire mont
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