Holiday Basket Support

Is Falling Behind

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 23 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 Program 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 to the sponsored families, since they were small children. Many of us now have grandchildren who will be helping soon! 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 I have been notified by Rick Mazzariello, our “adoption” specialist, that we have many families — 20 at last count — that have not been adopted. I realize that it may seem a little early to start worrying about this, but we are far behind previous years in both family adoptions and monetary donations. We use most of the money collected to supplement the baskets with gift certificates for food, gas, and a shoes. We have always had enough people and organizations to adopt the families, but every year it has gotten closer and closer to the deadline before we ran out of families. Last year we had to drastically reduce the amount of gift certificates we added to the baskets. We have less than 25 days until Delivery Day, which is December 18 at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

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 203-270-9190 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

President, Newtown Fund

55 Sugar Lane, Newtown                                       November 22, 2010