Jacklyn knows what it feels like to be a kid suddenly thrust into a new situation.
The 22-year-old spent a good deal of her childhood in the foster care system following the death of her father and abandonment of her mother to drug addiction. She said she often found herself in unfamiliar homes wishing she had a more normal upbringing, especially around the holidays when family seemed more important than ever before.
So when she recently found out her 6-year-old cousin was facing a similar fate, Jacklyn, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, and her fiance decided they would welcome her into their home.
“I’ve been through a lot of stuff and I didn’t want that for her,” Jacklyn said of the youngster who is now officially under her guardianship. “Making sure she is happy and healthy has been our main focus. And it can be a little overwhelming.”
To make matters worse, Jacklyn has had a string of expensive surgeries over the years to remove ovarian cysts that are painful. She said her health issues have been a barrier when trying to find work, which is making it harder to make ends meet.
“Thankfully, there are organizations out there that are helping us out while we get this figured out,” she said. “But, with the holidays coming up, I’ve a little worried about how to make this Christmas special for her.”
That’s where Operation Holiday comes in. Jacklyn is among those referred to the fund that will help with food and gifts this season.
Operation Holiday
Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families going through tough times provides 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 33rd 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 Reading Eagle, The Times Herald, The Reporter and Daily Local News.
More than $91,000 in donations last year provided food and gifts for 451 children and 199 families, plus cash donations to food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
This year, Operation Holiday has partnered with 19 agencies in the tri-county area. Agencies have referred 165 families with 419 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 MediaNews Group 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 can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to P.O. 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