Newtown Fund Still Seeking Holiday Assistance For Families In Need

With just two weeks to go, the Newtown Fund still is looking for help to provide Christmas cheer to local families and individuals – usually senior citizens – in need.

This year more than 80 households are on the list to receive help through the Newtown Fund. Residents and businesses are encouraged to sign up to adopt a household that will receive food baskets and gifts on Depot Day, December 18.

 “We’re getting a little nervous,” said Colleen Honan, who with Doreen Kostecki and Judy Rosentel are coordinating this year’s Newtown Fund project. “The time is getting shorter and we still have more than 20 families that haven’t been adopted.”

Monetary donations also are needed, as is help on Depot Day itself.

The town’s social services department provides information about the needs of families and individuals that are to be the recipients of the holiday baskets.  The recipients’ names are confidential.

Thousands of individuals and families have been helped over the years since a group of local residents organized the first Christmas Basket project more than 40 years ago. The basket project provides not only food and gifts – often clothing – for each member of the household, but also warm bedding, and gift certificates for perishable foods, haircuts, and other essentials.

Anyone who is interested in helping should call the Newtown Fund at 426-6565, follow the voice-mail instructions, and leave a message. Messages will be answered within a week.  Monetary donations may be mailed to The Newtown Fund, PO Box 641, Newtown 06470. Write “Basket Project” on the memo line.

The Newtown Junior Woman’s Club is holding its Tag-a-Gift drive in conjunction with the Holiday Basket project. Gift tags are on Christmas trees and wreaths at Newtown Savings Bank at Sand Hill Plaza, Fleet Bank, Union Savings Bank, and the Wesley Learning Center. Each tag has a child’s age and sex along with a number used to identify the family when the gifts are distributed. Gifts, with the tag attached, should be brought, unwrapped, to these locations and left in specially marked boxes.  Deadline for the gifts is Monday, December 13. At that time, members of the Junior Women’s Club will pick them up and gift-wrap them so that they will be ready for distribution on Depot Day.

All donated food and gifts are to be dropped off at Sandy Hook School by 9 am on Depot Day.  Delivery will begin at noon. Volunteers are needed to help deliver.