WETHERSFIELD — From now through Wednesday, December 4, 54 funeral homes across Connecticut are welcoming donations from the public for Connecticut National Guard’s Operation ELF (Embracing Lonely Families) program and for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. The members of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA) are holding the 14th annual holiday drive to collect gift cards and toys for military families and for children and teens in the hospital.

In Newtown, Honan Funeral Home, at 58 Main Street (203-426-2751), is participating; in Southbury, Carpino Funeral Home, at 750 Main Street South (203-264-1991) and Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home at 235 Main Street North (203-263-2146); and 2 School Street (203-263-2146) in Woodbury will take part.

In addition, on Thursday, December 5, from 8:30 am to 5 pm, people can drop off items to CFDA’s 131st Convention at the Sheraton Hartford South at 100 Capital Boulevard in Rocky Hill.

“As funeral directors and suppliers of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association, we have held our own charitable holiday collection efforts for more than a decade, and this is the fourth year that we also invite the public to bring donations of gift cards and unwrapped toys to local funeral homes,” explains Edward J. Sheehy Jr, president of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association. “By doing so, we add convenient community sites that supplement these organizations’ own collection efforts. We encourage state residents to take a few minutes and come donate an item that will mean so much to another Connecticut family.”

All gift cards, toys, and funds collected by the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association will be delivered directly to Operation ELF and to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center before the holidays.

Operation ELF will give these items to families of the Connecticut National Guard and all branches of the military with a loved one in the deployment cycle who suffer financial hardship as a result of the call to active duty. Operation ELF welcomes gift cards of any dollar value for grocery or department stores, home supply stores, gas stations, and pharmacies, as well as unwrapped new toys for young people of any age.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center toys and gift cards will be presented to young patients during the holidays and at different times of the year. Unwrapped toys should be appropriate for hospitalized infants, children, adolescents, or teenagers that do not pose a safety hazard, such as those with sharp edges or small, removable or easily breakable parts. Hospitalized teens will receive gift cards they can enjoy.

The 131-year-old Connecticut Funeral Directors Association is comprised of funeral directors at more than 220 funeral homes. Based in Wethersfield, Conn., the professional organization is committed to the promotion and advocacy of high ethical standards in funeral service. This includes the development and presentation of ongoing professional training opportunities for practitioners and educational programs for association members and the public. For more information about the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association or its holiday collection drive, call 860-721-0234 or 800-919-2332 or visit www.ctfda.org.

The Connecticut National Guard Foundation Inc is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides emergency financial assistance for Connecticut National Guard members and their families. Operation ELF assists the families of Connecticut National Guard soldiers and airmen who are deployed during the holidays and provides a wide range of support to military families throughout the year. For more information about the Foundation, call 800-858-2677 or visit www.ctngfi.org.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center is a nationally recognized, 187-bed not-for-profit children’s hospital in Hartford. Ranked by US News & World Report as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation, we foster a patient- and family-centered environment with a focus on research, education, and advocacy. Connecticut Children’s serves as the primary pediatric teaching hospital for the UConn School of Medicine, has a teaching partnership with the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University and is a research partner of The Jackson Laboratory. We are an institution of acceptance and compassion, regardless of nationality or immigration status. For more information, visit www.connecticutchildrens.org.