Many Helping Hands Deliver Christmas To Newtown Families

By Jan Howard

Newtown’s less fortunate families and individuals will have a happier holiday thanks to efforts of several local organizations.

The Newtown Fund’s annual Delivery Day for its Holiday Basket Program was a great success as usual, according to Chairman Doreen Kostecki.

The program, which was conducted from Sandy Hook School on December 20, featured gifts and food items donated by local residents that benefited 95 families consisting of 240 people.

The gifts and food items were coordinated according to families and then delivered by volunteers later that morning.

Saturday morning was busy for members of the Newtown Fund, Boy Scout Troop 370, Girl Scout Troop 591, and other volunteers who scurried about accepting donations, distributing wrapped gifts into assigned boxes, wrapping gifts, and filling grocery bags with food items. About 11 am the first volunteers arrived to make the deliveries, with Boy Scouts helping to load the gifts and food into trunks of cars, backs of minivans, and beds of pickup trucks.

“There were a lot of food donations,” Ms Kostecki said, “and we never had so many unwrapped gifts. When we needed donations for 15 more families, Newtown came through.”

Ms Kostecki noted there were also “scads of gift certificates” among the donations. Cash donations were also received from local businesses.

Sandi Stockpole noted the Newtown Fund received a donation of $500 in food items the day before.

Names of families eligible for the program are provided by the Department of Social Services. Clothing sizes and gift suggestions are also provided.