Date: Fri 27-Nov-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Newtown-Fund-holiday-giving

Full Text:

Newtown Fund Reaches Out During The Holiday Season

(with photo)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

Dozens of households in Newtown could face a bleak Christmas this year if it

weren't for the efforts of the Newtown Fund and other organizations which lend

a hand. But these volunteers need the help of many people in the community to

make it happen.

"This year we expect there will be between 75 and 80 (needy) families on the

list," said Sandra Stockwell, Newtown Fund treasurer.

Ms Stockwell and Linda Bates of Stockwell Bates & Co, PC, certified public

accountants, are coodinating the plans for this year's Depot Day, Saturday,

December 19. On that day, donations for the Christmas baskets will be

collected at Sandy Hook Elementary School at 9 am, packaged and delivered by

volunteers at 1 pm to households throughout Newtown.

Nearly 40 years ago, the late Joseph Chase and Rev Paul Cullens were

instrumental in delivering the first Christmas baskets and creating the

Newtown Fund, a nonprofit organization that addresses special needs in the

community.

At Christmas, this includes "adopting" families that have been in contact with

the town's social services department and making sure they have a holiday

meal, gifts of clothing, toys and other household staples such as warm

blankets and sheets.

"These families have been referred to social services from so many places,

including the schools and the churches, and now we want to all pull together

to help them. It's a real community effort," Sandra Stockwell said.

For people who want to help, providing a happy Christmas for a child can be as

easy as picking an ornament off a Christmas tree and purchasing an extra toy.

It can involve "adopting" a family in need and providing both a meal and

gifts, or making donations of food, new clothing, blankets, new toys and the

like for "unadopted" families.

It can mean donating an hour or two to help deliver the Christmas baskets. Or

it can be simply making a tax-deductible donation by sending a check payable

to The Newtown Fund to PO Box 641, Newtown, Conn. 06470-0641. (Write

"Christmas Basket Program" in the memo line.)

"This is entirely a volunteer effort," Sandra Stockwell said. "The Newtown

Fund has no overhead other than buying stationery every four or five years. At

least 99.9 percent of all money donated goes directly to help people in need."

Monetary donations to the holiday gift basket program are used to buy gift

certificates that might help a recipient purchase prescription medicine or get

a haircut.

"Most people who help want to adopt families with children, but there are

other households as well," Linda Bates said. "But there are a lot of senior

citizens and single people without children who have debilitating diseases,

and we also want to help them out."

Among the household items requested this year are double and queen-size sheets

and comforters, men's and women's watches for persons seeking employment, and

a toaster oven. All items donated to the Christmas basket program should be

new and unused.

Each year the Newtown Junior Woman's Club helps with Depot Day through its

Tag-A-Gift Program. To help residents buy appropriate gifts for children, the

club has placed holiday trees decorated with special ornaments at the Union

Savings Bank on Church Hill Road, at Fleet Bank on Queen Street, at the

Newtown Savings Bank in the Sand Hill Plaza, and Wesley Learning Center.

Each ornament has a tag attached that indicates whether the gift should be for

a boy or girl, the age of the child, and whether the child has any special

gift wish. There is also a sign-up sheet nearby each Tag-A-Gift tree that

should be filled out before an ornament and tag are taken home.

The gifts should be brought, unwrapped, back to the banks before noon on

December 14 with the tag attached. Members of the Junior Woman's Club wrap all

of the gifts on Depot Day.

Last week the Newtown Fund sent out letters asking for help with the holiday

basket program. If anyone would like to adopt a family, help on Depot Day or

help in other ways should call Linda Bates or Sandra Stockwell at Stockwell &

Bates between 9 am and 5 pm weekdays at 270-9312.

"The outpouring of holiday spirit cannot be accomplished without your

support," Sandi Stockwell said. "No donation is too small. The most wonderful

gift a person can receive is the joy that comes from helping others."