Help Meet The Need

For Holiday Baskets

To the Editor:

I am sure that most of the residents of Newtown are at least a little bit familiar with the Newtown Fund’s Holiday Basket Program. The Bee is so kind every year to keep running weekly articles to keep us in your minds and hopefully spur you to give in some way to the families in town who need so much. The Fund helps these families all year long with emergency donations to Social Services but this is the time that we can all do the most.

For at least the past 15 years my family and I have looked forward to the holidays not only for the wonderful fellowship and presents they bring but also for the Holiday Basket Delivery Day sponsored by the Newtown Fund. My daughter and many of the daughters and sons of the members of the fund have been helping on Depot Day –– the day the deliveries are made for the sponsored families –– since they were small children. It has become a cherished part of the holidays and my personal favorite. We see many of the same Newtown residents helping year after year.

I am writing to The Bee because we have 15 families, many of families with children, left to be adopted. The monetary contributions are down this year as well. We use the money collected for gift certificates for food, gas, the mall, and a shoe store. Last year we had a similar problem. I find this very unsettling. In past years we ran out of families because there were too many people and organizations who wanted to adopt and not enough families to go around. We have less than ten days until Delivery Day.

This year there are 92 families on the list. This means 233 individuals, including over 100 children between the ages of newborn to 18, will not have a holiday if not for your generosity.

I am not an eloquent writer. I can only hope that, as in the past, when the community hears of our need there will be a response. Please call Rick Mazzariello at 270-9190 and help us. I want to warn you though –– if you get involved and experience the warmth and wonder of giving to people less fortunate you will become hooked as we have. It is truly what the holidays should be about.

Thank you and Happy Holidays.

Linda Bates,

Chairperson Holiday Basket Program

55 Sugar Lane, Newtown                                     December 10, 2003