Since 1953, Holiday Family Outreach, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, has provided Christmas toys and food certificates to low-income families in Adams County. This year we are celebrating 67 years of service to the community! We are proud that our administrative cost is only 3% and this is for insurance, printing and postage. We also have been a key community partner with the United Way of Adams County since 1997.
Last year, Holiday Family Outreach helped 500 families, providing two new toys each for 1,200 children, and gave out 1,500 $30 Kennie’s Market food certificates to families, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Our goal is to raise $50,000 each year. Our biggest donor for the past two decades has been the Pete Kuhn’s Christmas for Kids Committee of the Mason-Dixon Chapter of A.B.A.T.E. (Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education). They fund-raise each year and donate up to $20,000 to Holiday Family Outreach (HFO) for the purchase of new toys. Employee groups and church congregations hold donation drives for toys, hats, scarves and gloves and take up collections to help pay for the Kennie’s Market (who gives a 5 percent discount to HFO) food certificates.
This year things are going to look a little different on our annual toy distribution day to be held on Saturday, December 12. Our Board of Directors recently voted to provide gift cards instead of toys due to COVID safety concerns. Instead of providing a shopping experience for families we will be holding a drive through event at the Gettysburg Middle School.
We still need your help! We need donations of hats & gloves. Our goal is to provide each child with a new hat and gloves on our toy distribution day. Please call the United Way at 717-334-5809 or e-mail rgtopper@comcast.net if you would like to organize a drive or donate individually. Holiday Family Outreach is participating in the Adams County Community Foundation’s Giving Spree. Donations can be made through the Foundation until Thursday, November 5. After that date – please make checks payable to: Holiday Family Outreach, Inc. and mail to PO Box 4013, Gettysburg, PA 17325. For more information or to donate on-line visit our website at achfo@org or call 717-334-5809.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.
