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Gifts for all the children
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Story written, published and © Copyright 2005 by The Westborough News on townonline.com. Click here to visit their website.
This year, givers have three weeks until the Dec. 10 weekend to buy gifts and drop them off at the church where the tag came from. Volunteers then spend the next week wrapping and bagging gifts for family pickup Dec. 15.
"We go through them and try to make sure every family gets the gift they requested," Gagnon said. "That's where the donations come in handy."
For those gifts that weren't filled, a group of volunteers from all of the participating churches takes the donated cash - the need ranges from $600 to $1,000 - and goes shopping. For bigger ticket items, such as a new bicycle, Gagnon sometimes works the phones to see if a local business might want to drop the price of a bike for the program.
As the number of gift requests steadily rose, Gagnon reluctantly had to drop a food basket program St. Luke's offered at Christmas. But if enough donation money comes in this year, the church will use any leftover money to buy gift cards at local supermarkets for needy families.
Nearly 200 families benefit from both the giving tree program and the Free Holiday Store, which is organized by the Department of Youth and Family Services and the Rotary Club of Westborough. Unlike the giving tree, which allows families to ask for specific gifts, the Free Holiday Store enables families to choose from a plethora of donated toys. Families can't sign up with both programs, Gagnon said.
Many of the people who need assistance are working-class families who live here because they work in the low-paying services industry.
"A lot of these families are new to town and work in the service industries. They may be just barely able to pay their rent or buy food," Gagon said. "Everything is expensive for them. If they have something happen, then it sends their budgets off."
Others who get help include families who have recently lost a spouse, or who have health problems and can't work.
In addition to the individual families, Gagnon said gifts also go to people enrolled in the Bridge program, and several Westborough State Hospital organizations such as the Kennedy School, Chauncy Hall and the Pelletier Center.
Story written, published and © Copyright 2005 by The Westborough News on townonline.com. Click here to visit their website.
Did you know the first Mass held in Westborough was in 1834 although Westborough didn't become a parish officially until 1870? (Find out MORE)
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