As you gear up to get your holiday shopping done, consider throwing an extra little something into your cart for Stafford's Holiday Gift Assistance Program. While this annual tradition has been around longer than Jennifer Strong, social services liaison, can remember, it's gotten a makeover in the past couple of years.
Years ago, families who qualified for gift assistance would be handed a bag of toys and then go on their way. Strong says she wanted to update the program and give it more fanfare, so she pushed to transition to a new formula. Now, parents or guardians show up at a designated time and "shop" the tables set up at the Community Center. Volunteers will help them pick out gifts and carry them around. Once they are finished picking out the right gifts for the kids in their lives, they get hot chocolate and cookies. They even have wrapping paper! This year's distribution will be on December 19.
In 2023, the first in which this model was used, 88 families and roughly 250 kids benefited from the program. Strong says she wanted to "offer a program that gave people a sense of joy," and the feedback suggests she succeeded. She says people overwhelmingly loved the event, which was designed to make everyone feel valued, from the recipients to the volunteers to the generous people who donate gifts.
Families who apply and qualify are given the opportunity to submit a wishlist item for each child. As long as the application and wishlist are received on time, social services guarantee families will receive them. Local individuals and businesses pitch in to purchase the wishlist gifts. Those are set aside for the recipients to pick up during the big shopping event, when they can also pick from an assortment of donated items. Families who miss the initial deadline can still request wishlist items but may not receive them. However, last year, Strong says a donor who wished to remain anonymous bought all of the wishlist items for families who did not meet the deadline. So, even if you miss the first deadline, be sure to still sign up!
Strong says she firmly believes there should be nothing (or at least as little as possible) left over after everyone is done shopping. People who generously donate items to the Holiday Gift Assistance Program want to know their gifts are being used, not sitting in a storage room. So, the goal is to have completely cleared tables by the end of the day. In years past, there were rooms filled with leftover items, but the new model aims to ensure that everything is used. If that means letting a family take home extra gifts for their nieces and nephews, so be it.
The event is also unique in serving kids up to 17 years old. Many toy drives only go up to age 13, as teens are notoriously hard to shop for and often want gift cards. Last year, families asked for more appropriate items for teens, so think outside the box when donating, and be sure to find gifts teens would want (i.e., Nike socks, Bluetooth headphones, gift cards, etc.)
While the new formula for gift distribution seems to be a hit, it's a lot of work. Pulling this event off requires the help of many volunteers and generous community members who donate to the program. Even the seniors get involved when the Community Center is otherwise shut down leading up to the gift distribution. With that in mind, here are some important dates and other info for people who want to help.
Application Deadlines:
November 21 to be guaranteed to receive your wishlist items
December 11 final application deadline
Get the application here or contact Jenn Strong at 860-684-7752
How to Donate New, Unwrapped Gifts:
Stuff-a-Cruiser, December 7, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Community Center
Drop off at social services, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. until December 18
To help purchase wishlist items, call Grace Parrow at 860-684-3906
To Volunteer:
Whether you want to volunteer at the Stuff-a-Cruiser event, help set up, or work during the distribution day, you can use this link to sign up.