Another Successful

Holiday Basket Program

To the Editor:

As all of us are busy with our daily lives, work, children, holiday preparations, it always amazes me to see how generous Newtown residents can be with their time and money to help make the holidays special for the needy in Newtown. This thank you letter goes out to all of the people who, year after year, make this program a success. To the various clubs, organizations, schools, churches, and individuals who donated money, “adopted” families, and gave your time to deliver to the families, you have provided so many with a happy holiday season.

Depot Day was Saturday, December 18; all the gifts and food were brought to Sandy Hook School in the morning, and later delivered to the families. It was a busy day!

Newtown Social Services, under the direction of Ann Piccini and Jo Anne Klopenstein, provided The Newtown Fund with 97 families that needed “adopting” this year and all were adopted! What would the fund do without Rick Mazzariello who takes all of the calls each year to adopt out the families and coordinates with Ann and Jo Anne?

Thank you to The Bee. Without that last editorial we would never have gotten all the money needed and the last 16 families adopted.

Many thanks to The Newtown Junior Women’s Club who sponsor their annual Tag-A-Gift program, providing additional toys for the children.

Once again, the Boy and Girl Scouts were at the school all day unloading and loading cars and wrapping gifts. The Girl Scouts made and decorated wreaths for all the families this year.

Pitney Bowes always supplies hundreds of boxes and tape. What a wonderful and generous town we live in!

On behalf of the members of The Newtown Fund, we would like to thank everyone for their help in making this the best holiday season for Newtown’s needy families.

Sincerely,

Doreen Kostecki, President,

 The Newtown Fund

Linda Bates, Vice President & Chairperson,

Holiday Basket Program

PO Box 641, Newtown                                            December 28, 2004