Donations to this year’s ‘Give-a-Holiday’ program the township effort to provide food and gifts to families in need aren’t keeping up with the demand.
By: Melissa Edmond
With many local Scout and church groups working to help hurricane victims in Louisiana and Mississippi, some needy local residents are at risk of going without during the holidays.
According to Mary Ellen Stahley, director of Hillsborough’s Social Services Department, donations to this year’s annual "Give-a-Holiday" program the township effort to provide food and gifts to families in need aren’t keeping up with the demand.
"Normally, we have more of our families adopted by this time but because of all the natural disasters I think families have been generous and may have stretched themselves too thin," Ms. Stahley said.
The program has always enjoyed a surfeit of donors residents, churches and civic groups willing to help the families.
The program has always gone smoothly with more than enough volunteers to "adopt" one or more of the Social Services Department’s clients except for this year. Ms. Stahley said the township has fewer donors than usual for this time of the year, adding there are still more families that need to be adopted for Hanukkah and Christmas.
She said the department has 80 families that are signed up for the program. "There are 20 families that still need to be adopted," she said.
"We usually get more families as it grows closer to the holidays," she added, noting she expects 10 additional families to sign up for the program as the holidays grow closer.
"It’s never happened that we’ve had an unequal number of families and donors," she said.
Donations and gifts must be turned in to the township by mid-December. Families receiving food and gifts have specified days to collect their items.
In addition to the list of gifts requested, Ms. Stahley said the department can use nonperishable foods and frozen turkeys for the holidays.
She said anyone interested in participating can contact her at 369-3880.
The following is a partial list of families in need:
Family 45
Male age 10 – Jeans size 12 slim, sneakers size 4 1/2, pajamas size 14/16, T-shirt 12/14, wrist watch with numbers.
Female age 29 – Shoes size 7 1/2, coat (white or light pink) size medium, slippers size 7 1/2, wrist watch.
Male age 31 – Jean’s size 38W x 36L, winter jacket size XL, underwear and thermal underwear size large.
Family 47
Male age 15 – Pants size 34W, shirts or sweaters size XXL, hooded sweatshirt size XXL (dark in color).
Female age 36 – Pants size 6, shirts or sweaters size medium, kitchen towels, "throw" blanket for couch.
Female age 18 – Pants size 4, shirts or sweaters size small, pajama pants size small, lotion (Bath & Body Works).
Family 54
Female age 20 – Pants size junior 9/10, shirts or sweaters size large, shoes size 9, pink wrist watch.
Family 76
Male age 47 – Flannel shirts size XL.
If you or an organization, business or neighborhood would like to choose a family or individual for whom to buy items on the holiday list, you can also contact Mary Stulack at 359-0850.
All gifts must be new, unwrapped and a sticker placed on each item(s) identifying the family number, age and gender of the person. Wrapping paper and tags also will be accepted so items can be gift-wrapped by Social Services. All items must be delivered to the Social Services Department before 4 p.m. Dec. 14.
The Social Services Department also will accept money, gift certificates and nonperishable food items, which can be delivered to the Social Services Department, located in the Municipal Complex, South Branch Road, Hillsborough.

