The Newtown Fund’s Holiday Basket program, the largest annual undertaking by the fund, is being done differently this year.

The program annually benefits an average of 80 Newtown households who qualify for assistance — parents with children, as well as couples and individuals — by providing holiday gifts and food. Households contact Social Services to file an application for the program. Social Services then contacts The Newtown Fund with basic information including the number of people in a household, their genders, and their ages; names and other identifying information are kept confidential.

The Fund then finds volunteers to “adopt” a household. Local businesses, organizations, churches, clubs, families, e.g., that adopt a household commit to purchasing the items requested, and then wrapping and labeling the gifts. Grocery items are also part of the adoption/sponsorship process.

Normally on Depot Day, all items earmarked for the households in need are delivered to a central collection point, where they are sorted by family before delivery. Additional items from individual groups, organizations, individuals, et al are also received on Depot Day, and then disbursed randomly among the recipients.

Unlike previous years, however, there is a pandemic hanging overhead, which means the way the 2020 Holiday Basket program wraps up next month will be very different.

This year, those adopting families are being asked to take care of every step — adopt, shop, wrap, and deliver. Depot Day, which typically draws dozens of people into one location for a few hours, cannot be safely conducted.

As of November 9, The Newtown Fund had 17 families waiting to be adopted this holiday season.

“Social Services,” according to Newtown Fund President Linda Bates, “says there are potentially ‘dozens’ more families who will come in to be adopted.”

At the same time, according to Bates, “we haven’t heard from 41 adopters from last year.

“We need new adopters,” she urged.

Natalie Jackson, whose job as the director of human resources for the Town of Newtown includes overseeing Social Services, said there may not be dozens of households still waiting to apply, but she does expect to hear from more residents soon.

“I think we’re ahead of things this year, in terms of the number of households we’re giving to the Newtown Fund,” Jackson said November 10.

By Tuesday morning, she said, information for 58 applicant households had been forwarded to the fund, “and we’ve got about 15 that are in the queue that we are waiting on special gift information, so we’re at 73 already.”

The 2019 Holiday Basket program helped 62 households, she said.

Applications Requested

Heads of households thinking about reaching out to Social Services this holiday season should do so sooner rather than later.

“Our goal is to have all of the households to the Fund by the end of this week,” Jackson said November 10. “But we always hear from people at the last minute.”

Jackson expects to still hear from residents reaching out to Social Services for the first time this year.

“I think people who have not used the Newtown Fund in the past, who are impacted financially by COVID, are still coming to us,” she said. “We’re introducing the fund to them when they reach out to us.”

Applying early to the Newtown Fund holiday program is also beneficial to those adopting.

“I think this year people are wanting to shop earlier,” Jackson said. “I think things are going to take longer to come in.”

Despite that, Jackson is encouraged by the current state of the holiday program.

“I think we’re ahead of things, in terms of the number of families we’ve gotten to the Newtown Fund and who has been matched,” she said. “We have time.”

To apply for the Holiday Basket program, call Newtown Social Services at 203-270-4330. The department is completing intake applications over the phone this year, which saves time and limits direct contact, according to Jackson.

“We’re able to clarify questions about gifts, for instance, rather than playing phone tag,” she said. “For us, it just starts with that phone call.”

To sponsor/adopt a household or donate to the holiday program, contact Program Coordinator Alison Kistner at 203-522-6590 or newtownfund@gmail.com or visit thenewtownfund.org.