Residents can donate money or gifts so children on free or reduced lunch in the township can have gifts this holiday season.
As the holidays quickly approach, those in Evesham will once again have the chance to help grant some wishes for the township’s youngest residents.
Every year, the Evesham Holiday Wishes program provides the township’s less fortunate children with free gifts to brighten their holiday season.
The program is run through the Evesham Celebrations Foundation and allows residents to donate money or gifts so the ECF can provide holiday presents for those children in township whose families’ financial situation has them receiving free or reduced lunch at school.
Parents who need a little extra help this season can sign their children up for the program, and then the children will be invited to the Indian Spring Golf Course on Dec. 17 for a large holiday party where the kids will get to pick out presents and enjoy breakfast, a balloon artist, a face painter and more.
According to Mayor Randy Brown, last year’s program raised more than $10,000 for children, and this year he hopes the township can do even more.
Brown praised the Evesham Holiday Wishes program for keeping a direct line between the money raised and how it helps those in Evesham who need it most.
“There’s so many different charities out there, and you just don’t know where everything goes. You don’t know where your $10 goes, you don’t know where your gift goes … for what we do with our holiday wishes program, we know where it goes. It stays right here in the community for people who need it,” Brown said.
Brown also noted that often times Evesham residents believe everyone in their community is wealthy and can afford to provide during the holidays, but that isn’t always the case, making it all the more important to donate to the program.
“You just don’t know. You don’t know, and, more importantly, it’s all about what we do as a community,” Brown said.
Some of the recent supporters of the program include the Arrowhead Neighborhood Association and Paul Chenier, the videographer who records town council meetings and other township events.
Brown praised each of those donations at the Nov. 22 Evesham Township Council meeting, during which time the Arrowhead Neighborhood Association donated $500 and Chenier donated $350.
Dan Meyers, president of the Arrowhead Neighborhood Association, said his group likes to give back to the community when possible, especially as the holiday season approaches.
“In recommendation of Mayor Brown, he said the holiday gift program could definitely use some support,” Meyers said.
Meyers and his neighborhood association also offered their support if the program needed any help purchasing or transporting any of the gifts.
As for Chenier, Brown said he was embarrassing him by bringing him in front of the camera for once to praise his donation, but noted that Chenier attended last year’s Holiday Wishes event and was able to see the joy on the kids’ faces firsthand.
“When you see the reactions on these kids faces, you understand that just because we’ve had bikes or we’ve had dolls or we’ve had sports items to play with— they don’t,” Brown said.
This year’s Evesham Holiday Wishes program will accept donations from Dec. 1 until Dec. 16.
Gift Drop Off Locations Include:
· Evesham Fire House: 26 East Main Street: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
· Evesham Fire House: Merchants Way (Kings Grant): 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· Gibson House Community Center: 535 E. Main St: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
· Evesham Township Municipal Building: 984 Tuckerton Road: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
· Blue Barn Recreation Center: 1004 Tuckerton Road: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
· Indian Spring Country Club: 115 S. Elmwood Road: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
· Evesham Mortgage: 65 E. Route 70: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For families in need or for additional information, contact the program by phone at (856) 985–9792 or by email at Brownr@evesham-nj.gov, vandenbergm@evesham-nj.gov or bittnera@evesham-nj.gov.
