As we head into the holiday season, our clients continue to truly struggle in so many ways. Our annual Hope for the Holidays gifting program always gives our clients some hope and joy in an otherwise challenging time of year. The program recently launched however we are struggling ourselves to find sponsors. We still need sponsors for 21 families and 47 individual clients. Please email us at [email protected] to participate.

We are continuing the tradition of gifting gift cards to our clients so they may purchase much needed gifts this holiday season. Although gift cards may feel a bit more impersonal than physical gifts, they are deeply appreciated and empower our clients to shop for their families and select exactly what is needed.

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 individuals who worked with their Operation Hope social workers to develop a wishlist of specific gift cards needed. Sponsors can be a family, a group of friends, co-workers, etc.
• Meredith McCormack and Sheila Sullivan, co-chairs of the program, will share wishlists with sponsors. Contact them immediately at [email protected] to participate. 
• Sponsors will then have until December 3 to either mail gift cards or drop them off in Fairfield (location to be shared once a sponsor is matched to an individual). Meredith and Sheila, along with a few elves, will check in and organize the gift cards by client and have each client’s gift cards wrapped in a small box so there is a gift to open. They will pass along the gift card packages to social workers the first week in December so clients have time to use the gift cards to buy gifts and necessities before the holidays.
• Continuing this year! If you or your kids/grandkids would like to drop your gift cards off and make a card to be included with your gift, we have arranged for two times to do this: Wednesday, November 20, 4pm-6pm at Operation Hope’s headquarters, 636 Old Post Road and Saturday, November 23, 10am-12pm at Operation Hope’s Community Kitchen, 50 Nichols Street. 

If you are interested in participating this year or have any questions, please send an email asap to Meredith and Sheila at [email protected]. Thank you for opening your hearts this holiday season!