Thanksgiving Holiday Hours
Our business office and Food Pantry will be closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27. Our Community Kitchen will be serving Thanksgiving dinner from 1-5pm Thursday, November 26 and closed Friday, November 27. Regular business hours and Community Kitchen service resume Monday, November 30, with the Food Pantry resuming service Tuesday, December 1. We wish you and yours a safe, healthy and happy holiday!
McKinley School Student Council Food Drive Helps Fill Pantry
Thanks to the McKinley School Student Council for holding a school-wide food drive to help fill our pantry! Items per grade were requested over a 10-day period. Students in grades K-5 brought in mac & cheese, gravy, instant potatoes, pancake mix and syrup, chili, stew and canned vegetables and fruit. Student Council advisor and 5th grade teacher Renee Grenier said this was a good opportunity to introduce students to community service and to demonstrate how our community really supports each other – neighbor helping neighbor. Pictured here are 5th grade Student Council members Kiran Rajan and Ryan Romeo, along with Mrs. Grenier. Many thanks to the Student Council for running the drive and to the school community for its support to help feed our neighbors in need this Thanksgiving holiday and beyond.
Keeping Donna Schmidt, Volunteer Program Manager, in Our Prayers
We are saddened by the recent car accident involving our dear Operation Hope family member, Donna Schmidt, Volunteer Program Manager. She is cherished by so many, having been with Operation Hope for 10 years. Her condition is serious and we ask that you keep her in your prayers as she recovers. Please also hold the family of the driver in your prayers, as well. This hard time reminds us to count our blessings. The hospital appreciates everyone’s concern, but asks that callers understand they cannot give any information at this time. For those who might be delivering Thanksgiving donations to Operation Hope or have questions, please email Carla Miklos at cmiklos@operationhopect.org. Thank you to all who have reached out and please have a safe and meaningful Thanksgiving holiday. We are very grateful to this giving community 🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽
Thanks to YMCA Flyfins Swim Team for Feeding Our Neighbors In Need
Nothing like a friendly competition to inspire teammates to do good! Recently, the Fairfield YMCA Flyfins swim team held a food drive, where the coaches, the older kids and the younger kids were challenged to bring in as many non perishables as possible for Operation Hope. Together, the team donated over 300 items for our pantry. It’s not clear who the official winner is, however, we think everyone here is a winner for helping our neighbors in need! Thank you, Flyfins! We are grateful for your helping “fins” and big hearts! ❤️🏊🏼♀️❤️🏊♂️❤️
Hope for the Holidays: Sponsors Needed!
Operation Hope’s annual “Hope for the Holidays” gifting program is in full swing, however, we are looking for more sponsors – families, individuals, groups, etc. – to help our clients and their families who are truly struggling in so many ways. Due to the pandemic and adhering to social distancing guidelines to keep all of us safe, we are limiting donations to solely gift cards this year. While the process is a little different this year, the kindness and care for our neighbors in need in our community remains the same. We hope you will consider helping us give hope this holiday season.
Here is how Hope for the Holidays will run this year:
- If you are interested in participating this year, please send an email asap to Evie Angel at evieangel@aol.com.
- Sponsors can either opt to supply general gift cards (always needed) or be matched with specific families and/or adult individuals who are currently working with their Operation Hope social workers to develop a wishlist of specific gift cards needed.
- Evie Angel, who chairs the program, has wishlists to distribute to sponsors asap.
Sponsors have until December 4 to either mail gift cards or drop them off at Evie’s home in Fairfield. She, along with a few elves (aka her husband and adult kids) will check in and organize all the gift cards by client and have each client’s gift cards wrapped in a small box so there is a gift to open. She will get the gift card packages to social workers as early as possible in December so clients have time to use the gift cards to buy gifts for their families before the holiday.
We will miss being with the dozens of volunteers from all walks of life who took the time to donate gifts, sort and wrap gifts and deliver gifts. But we know this is the best way to keep everyone safe. We WILL be back in 2021! Thank you!
Chip’s Gift Baskets to Benefit Operation Hope
Due to the pandemic, Chip’s can’t hold its traditional Thanksgiving breakfast to benefit Operation Hope. However, you can enjoy Chip’s from the comfort of your own home and STILL support Operation Hope! Chip’s is selling two kinds of gift baskets with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Operation Hope. Baskets will be available for in-store pick up in Fairfield Tuesday, November 24 and Wednesday, November 25 during regular business hours. Local delivery is available at an extra charge. For orders and more information, email chipsbaskets@gmail.com. These make a great holiday gift, too! Please consider supporting a local business that give back to its community, and especially to Operation Hope, in a big way.
Operation Hope Seeks 75 Frozen Pies for Thanksgiving Baskets
We’re looking for friends to donate 75 FROZEN pies to round out Thanksgiving baskets for our clients! Any abundance will be held for the December holidays. Please drop off at our office at 636 Old Post Rd on Thursday, Nov 19, 12pm-5pm, Friday, Nov 20, 12pm-4:30pm or Monday, Nov 23, 12pm-4:30pm. Thank you! 🥧❤️🥧
Give Hope for the Holidays
2020 has been a year like no other. Many of our clients and their families are truly struggling in so many ways. And in an otherwise normal year, we would be launching our annual Hope for the Holidays gifting program this month and getting ready to bring some joy to our clients. After much discussion, we have determined that in order to still serve Operation Hope’s clients with much needed and appreciated gifts this holiday season while adhering to social distancing guidelines to keep all of us safe, we will be limiting donations to gift cards only. The process will be a little different but the kindness and care for those struggling in our community remains the same. We hope you will consider helping us give hope this holiday season.
Here is how Hope for the Holidays will run this year:
- Sponsors can either opt to supply general gift cards (always needed) or be matched with specific families and/or adult individuals who are currently working with their Operation Hope social workers to develop a wishlist of specific gift cards needed.
- Evie Angel, who chairs the program, should have all wishlists in November and will begin distributing to sponsors asap.
- Sponsors will then have until December 1 to either mail gift cards or drop them off at Evie’s home in Fairfield. She, along with a few elves (aka her husband and adult kids) will check in and organize all the gift cards by client and have each client’s gift cards wrapped in a small box so there is a gift to open. She will get the gift card packages to social workers as early as possible in December so clients have time to use the gift cards to buy gifts for their families before the holiday.
If you are interested in participating this year or have any questions, please send an email asap to Evie Angel at evieangel@aol.com. We will miss being with the dozens of volunteers from all walks of life who took the time to donate gifts, sort and wrap gifts and deliver gifts. But we know this is the best way to keep everyone safe. We WILL be back in 2021! Thank you!
Angel Donates New Vacuum Cleaner for Community Kitchen
Meet Donna, who runs our Community Kitchen! We were seeking a gently used vacuum cleaner for that space and a generous angel 😇 donated a brand new one! 🙏🏽 Our Community Kitchen is open M-F and we serve lunch 11:30-1 and dinner 5:30-6:30. All are welcome. Meals are made or donated entirely by kind volunteers in our community 😊 If you’d like to donate or prepare a meal for 50 in the coming weeks, please email info@operationhopect.org. Thank you to our vacuum cleaner angel and to all volunteers who make it possible to feed our neighbors in need 🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽
Thanking Our Veterans Today and Everyday
Today, and everyday, we honor our country’s Veterans, who serve in the most selfless of ways to protect our freedoms. Here at home, we are proud that our state, Connecticut, is leading the country in curbing veterans’ homelessness. If you or someone you know is having difficulty getting the Veterans’ services they need, please contact Senator Chris Murphy’s office or visit https://www.murphy.senate.gov/issues/veterans. 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙🇺🇸
Although our business office is closed today, we are serving lunch (11:30-1) and dinner (5:30-6:30) in our Community Kitchen at 50 Nichols St. All are welcome.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
ADDRESS
636 Old Post Road
Fairfield CT 06824
HOURS
Main Office:
Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm
Summer hours: Main Office closes at 1:00pm on Fridays
FOOD PANTRY
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
10:00am to 12:00 noon
Thursday, 4:00pm to 6:00pm
OUTREACH & KITCHEN
ADDRESS
50 Nichols Street, Fairfield, CT
06824
Phone: (203) 254-2934
HOURS
Homeless Outreach: 4am-9pm
Community Kitchen:
lunch from 11:30am to 1:00pm
dinner from 5:30pm to 6:30pm
STAY IN TOUCH