NORRISTOWN â Dozens of families are being reminded Easter goes beyond the baskets of chocolate bunnies they received.
The spirit of the springtime holiday was surely blooming with every donation of a colorful basket or an Easter ham that found its way to places like the Daily Bread Community Food Pantry in Lower Providence, the Lower Providence Optimist Club, Laurel House and the Patrician Society in Norristown.
âJudge Rebar delivered 50 baskets to us and weâre getting a whole flatbed of food delivered today, hams and dry goods,â said LeeAnn Rooney, executive director of the Patrician Society on Wednesday. Â âWeâve been so blessed. Weâve had so many people donating food during the pandemic and now for Easter people are donating for their Lenten drives. Pope John Paul II just did a food drive for us. St Philip Neri in Lafayette Hill donated Rednerâs gift cards. A young girl Sarah from Gwynedd Mercy ran a food drive and they came down last we
NORRISTOWN â Dozens of families are being reminded Easter goes beyond the baskets of chocolate bunnies they received.
The spirit of the springtime holiday was surely blooming with every donation of a colorful basket or an Easter ham that found its way to places like the Daily Bread Community Food Pantry in Lower Providence, the Lower Providence Optimist Club, Laurel House and the Patrician Society in Norristown.
âJudge Rebar delivered 50 baskets to us and weâre getting a whole flatbed of food delivered today, hams and dry goods,â said LeeAnn Rooney, executive director of the Patrician Society on Wednesday. Â âWeâve been so blessed. Weâve had so many people donating food during the pandemic and now for Easter people are donating for their Lenten drives. Pope John Paul II just did a food drive for us. St Philip Neri in Lafayette Hill donated Rednerâs gift cards. A young girl Sarah from Gwynedd Mercy ran a food drive and they came down last we
Food pantries are navigating an increasing need across Montgomery County as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact daily life.
Now that the holiday season has concluded and the harsh winter months progress, organizations need to keep up with the demand of those in need.
Paula Schafer, executive director of the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network, has been overseeing the facilitation of resources for more than 40 food pantries over the course of the public health crisis.
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âMost of my food pantries are operating at 50 percent above the normal numbers that they serve this time of the year,â Schafer said. âSo people are very concerned about that.â
With Christmas just hours away now, newspaper readers have helped give a little holiday cheer to hundreds of families across southeastern Pennsylvania.Â
And while it may have looked a little different due to the pandemic, Operation Holiday is still bringing help straight from our readers to those who need it. This year has been filled with ups and downs brought on by COVID-19, said Shelley Meenan, MediaNews Group Philadelphia region general manager.
- Advertisement - Everyone involved looks forward to packing day, and it was disappointing for our employee volunteers to miss out on that. However, the understanding and positive reaction from our partner agencies was gratifying, she said.
As people throughout the world celebrate the holidays of December, be it Christmas or Hanukkah or just the end of another year, many reflect on the blessings they enjoy and the unfortunate circumstances of others who may be struggling.
In this year of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflections are especially poignant. The loss through illness, separation, no income, and death has been the story of our world since March.
And as we try to bring light into our homes and scaled-down celebrations, our humanity insists that we remember the struggles of others, especially those in our own communities. That spirit has for 30 years guided Operation Holiday, bringing together an opportunity for newspaper readers to give to this program that provides gifts and food for struggling families of the region.