Help a Family At Christmas and the Holidays Program
MEND is an interfaith network of donors and food pantries serving the needs of Essex County for over 30 years. Last year this network served over 75,000 needy men, women, and children who were facing difficult times and were in need of emergency food assistance and other support services.
While the collection and distribution of food to the pantries is the primary function of MEND, we also sponsor a unique program at Christmas and during the Holidays called “Help a Family at Christmas.” This project started 25 years ago when we realized there would be families who would not be celebrating any type of Christmas or other Holiday celebration without some outside support. The Help a Family program was designed to respond to this need and also provide the sponsor with a personal approach to giving.
Each year food pantry coordinators are asked to complete a client profile of five critically needy families (stating the first names, ages, sizes, family situation, gifts they would like, etc). This information is then sent to the MEND office and matched with an appropriate sponsor. The sponsor may be an individual, a school, a church, or a community or business group.
The sponsor is expected to provide grocery gift cards and two or three age appropriate gifts for each family member (a $250 value for a family of four). The sponsor is then responsible for transporting the gifs to the food pantry.
Because of the personal selection process between the donor and the needy family, gifts and other items for the family are selected with great care. One recipient commented, “What makes this a beautiful Christmas is not just the turkeys and wonderful toys for my children, but knowing there are people who truly care about me—a neighbor in need. I will never forget such kindness.”
Participation in Help a Family can truly bring the generosity and spirit of Christmas to life for donors. If you are interested and would like to take part in this special program, please call Meeting Emergency Need With Dignity at: 973-266-7941 or email us at: info@MENDNJ.org.
Start advertising & send notices via email
Have poster made with collection dates, location of collection bins or collection points and where the donated food is going: MEND. Position the posters in common and high traffic areas.
Make copies of the “items most needed” and distribute to interested participants Call MEND Central Office and schedule a pickup date/time for donated items at the end of the drive.
Keep any cash donations or grocery cards in a safe area
Send a final reminder notice to announce the last day for food collection
Arrange for volunteers to assist the MEND driver when he arrives to pickup donations (confirm pickup with MEND)
Follow-up after the drive – Call MEND to get the result of how many pound of food collected, how many meals were furnished and how many people were fed
LET VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS KNOW THE RESULTS – THEY NEED TO KNOW THEY MADE A DIFFERENCE TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN ESSEX COUNTY