The story of Operation Holiday began 34 years ago in Pottstown with The Mercury and the newspaper’s leadership goal of giving something meaningful to children whose families were struggling financially.
Since its beginning, the program has grown to include The Times Herald, The Reporter, Daily Local News and Reading Eagle, allowing us to serve more children in more towns throughout Montgomery, Berks and Chester counties.
We’ve also learned ways to better serve those we are helping, providing gift cards earlier in December to give families the opportunity to buy what their children need or want.
During the 2020-21 pandemic, we suspended our previous practice of packing boxes of food and switched to grocery gift cards, a decision that our partner agencies have told us is appreciated. Families are able to buy holiday foods that they enjoy — their choices, not ours.
Our program has grown in fundraising as you, our readers, have continued to respond with overwhelming generosity. Last year, we raised just over $90,000. We provided $100 gift cards to 419 children and $200 grocery gift cards to 184 families. We also made cash donations to eight area food pantries so that shelves would remain stocked with food during the winter months when donations are typically low and demand typically high.
As we begin this year’s campaign, we are acutely aware of the need in the world around us from devastating storms to ongoing humanitarian crises from war. But we maintain as a priority our close relationship to the communities we serve.
We have seen the rise in food prices, rent and child care costs that have created extreme difficulty for working poor families in our towns. Our focus is local to help the families who live in our communities — those struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food to eat.
The mission of Operation Holiday is to give children in difficult circumstances some semblance of a normal Christmas with food and gifts. Our list this year includes 189 families and 366 children referred by our partner nonprofit agencies.
There is no overhead with Operation Holiday. Funds are collected and audited in a nonprofit foundation account managed by staff members of MediaNews Group who volunteer their time. Nineteen partner agencies assist with identifying families in need and distributing gift cards that we provide. Business partnerships with Weis Markets, Redner’s and Boscov’s make the dollars we collect go further.
All gifts stay local, assisting families in the communities where we do business and where our readers live and work. The project is truly one that connects people, neighbor to neighbor, from those who give to those in need. Our donations are from individuals, families, businesses, churches and organizations. We are not funded or supported by nonprofit foundations or corporations.
Today begins our fundraising campaign to bring a smile to a child’s face, to help a local family have food to eat, and to give back with the blessings that grace our lives this holiday season.
Join us in this local endeavor with your gift to Operation Holiday.
Online donations are being accepted in a secure portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork.org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday. Contributions can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to PO Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 34 Susquehanna Ave., Suite 100, Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading, PA 19607.
