“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
― Mother Theresa
This holiday season, more than ever, HopeWorx team members recognized the added emotional and economic challenges families were facing and wanted to do more. So, in October of 2022, we launched our first annual HopeWorx for the Holidays Drive, which offered families who were being served by the FamilyWorx and AdvocacyWorx teams an opportunity to identify any food, clothing, or gift needs their families had for the holidays. An initial sign up and needs survey was sent out in late October and the response was overwhelming. Families of 87 Montgomery County children and teens applied for support with various needs, many of whom expressed multiple areas where they could use assistance. The task of finding a way to address so many requests was daunting, but we were determined to do our best.
Fulfilling the needs of so many families in such a short period of time required herculean efforts on the part of our Holiday Drive Team. Countless hours were spent compiling and updating needs lists, soliciting donations, and outreaching to community partners who might be able adopt some of the families. HopeWorx employees gave up office and home space to house donations. Others helped to partner with local business owners and churches to procure goods. Volunteers shopped for items on wish lists, wrapped gifts, and organized donations. Our Holiday Elf Teams took on the task of delivering items to homes at all hours of the day and night, throughout Montgomery County. Others volunteered to write thank you cards to everyone who supported the drive. It was truly a team effort!
We would like to highlight some incredibly generous individuals and community partners who joined with us to make this all possible. Apologies to anyone who we may have inadvertently left off the list- please know that your donation was greatly appreciated and put to good use as well. Thank you for the financial contributions from employees, friends, and HopeWorx board members. Thank you to the friends and family who adopted families and provided them with amazing holiday gifts and meals. Thank you to our community partners who stepped in and covered the needs of so many children for us.
Special thanks to:
- Abington Police Department for adopting several families
- Bikers Against Child Abuse for adopting several families and providing bicycles, gifts, and holiday meals
- Children Of America Daycare Centers for adopting several children
- Friends, family, and FamilyWorx employees who adopted 60 of the children on their own
- Haws Avenue United Methodist Church for donating over 250 games and toys for the children
- Malvern Health for adopting a family with significant needs
- Montgomery Township Police Department for adopting six families, including a family of ten!
Most of all, though, we would like to thank the families who participated in our holiday drive. We want to thank them for their kindness, appreciation, and humility, and for allowing us to partake in a small portion of their holiday celebration. The families we serve remind us daily what it means to stay strong, even in the face of great adversity. Their commitment to their families is inspiring. Their gratitude is humbling. Their gracious acceptance of our gifts, no matter how small, allowed us the opportunity to grow and enrich our own lives through giving and serving others.
Our drive was so successful that we hope to make it an annual event, and plan to begin organizing much earlier in 2023. We are looking for donors, volunteers, and committee members to grow our efforts this year. If you are interested in learning more or would like to volunteer time or funding, please contact Clare Higgins at chiggins@hopeworxinc.org.
