Scott and Linda live with their two children in a typical neighborhood of rural western Berks County.
There is a late-model minivan in their driveway and a large, manicured lawn where their son Tommy, 8, is often seen practicing his soccer moves.
Daughter Lynette, 11, who prefers less-active pastimes, is more likely to be found on summer days sitting in the shade of an old apple tree with an open book on her lap.
From all appearances, the family seems to be prospering.
But looks can be deceiving.
Scott and Linda — not their real names — have been struggling financially ever since he was laid off last year.
The longtime construction worker was accustomed to bringing home a paycheck that could support his family: providing a warm place to live, putting food on the table and clothes on their backs and buying the little extras.
“You know how kids are,” he said. “They ask for everything, but I am happy if I can just cover their basic needs.”
But the income from his unemployment compensation and Linda’s part-time job wasn’t enough for the basics, much less the extras.
Struggling to make ends meet, the couple fell behind in their bills.
Scott, 41, is working sporadically now and things are looking up, but he and his wife are still trying to catch up.
They haven’t even given much thought to the holidays. With the colder weather here, the couple are more worried about paying for the oil and wood they burn to heat their home.
“Everything is just so pricey these days,” Scott said. “And they are saying winter is going to be hard again.”
Even feeding his family has been a challenge, he said.
For help with groceries, the family turned to Helping Harvest, an organization that collects, purchases and distributes food to the hungry in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
“They helped me a few times,” Scott said, noting the staff also helped him complete the forms needed to apply for food assistance from the state.
People like Scott and his family are the reason that food banks like Helping Harvest exist. And supporting those types of places is what Operation Holiday is all about.
History
Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families going through tough times provide something for their children during the holidays. The mission of the program is to make sure there is food on the table and gifts under the tree when Christmas morning comes.
Now in its 34th year, the program has served thousands of families throughout Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, expanding its reach in recent years to include communities served by readers of the Reading Eagle, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News.
Nearly $90,000 in donations last year provided food and gifts for 419 children and 184 families, plus cash donations to food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
This year, Operation Holiday has partnered with 17 agencies in the tri-county area. Agencies have referred 189 families with 366 children for gifts and food.
There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a nonprofit foundation account managed by staff of MediaNews Group newspapers who volunteer their time.
Gift cards to area grocery stores are provided to each family for food so they can purchase the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the pantry. Weis Markets is a partner with Operation Holiday and has assisted with food purchases and gift cards.
Gift cards for every child in the program 16 years of age or younger are purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with the referring agencies so families can purchase gifts of their choice.
Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency. Operation Holiday is funded solely by reader contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.
How to donate
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 also can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to P.O. Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 34 Susquehanna Ave., Suite 100, Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading PA 19607.
The names of all contributors are published in the participating newspapers as donations are received. Please note whether a contribution should be designated as anonymous or given in tribute or in memory of someone.
