The Montgomery County Holiday Giving Project collects names of families throughout the county requesting help with food at Thanksgiving and in December. Germantown HELP matches families in need with sponsors in the community; or, if necessary, provides assistance directly. Families are put into the Project by their caseworkers or school guidance counselors.
We always need help sponsoring families for Thanksgiving and December help. Whether you can sponsor a family or just donate a Giant gift card, we appreciate any assistance you can give! Please see the "Support Us" for more information!
General Guidelines
For those individuals, businesses, families, etc., interested in sponsoring a family directly, here are some general guidelines:
A "Holiday Gift" is meant to be all the fixings of a holiday meal for a family. It is a festive gift to help make the holidays brighter for families in need. A December Holiday Gift also includes toys and gifts for the children in a family. Your Holiday Gift can be a turkey and all the traditional trimmings, a grocery store gift certificate, or some combination of food and a gift certificate. Please do not give cash.
There is no entitlement or guarantee that needy families will receive a holiday gift. Depending upon donations, each gift is different and some will be more generous than others. There is, however, endless enthusiasm from all parts of the community for helping people in need at the holidays. We are thankful that you wish to make the holidays brighter for those less fortunate in our community! To make your Holiday Giving experience one you will want to make a yearly tradition, we have provided a few helpful tips:
Please contact the family as soon as possible to set up a convenient day and time to deliver your gift so that they know they have not been forgotten. They are anxiously waiting to hear from you - they have been given no guarantee that they will be receiving a gift.
If you are purchasing food, ask if there are special food needs, food allergies or preferences. The enclosed menu is a suggested menu only. It is up to you (and your budget) how much you want to comply with your assigned family's requests. If you have been given an individual, a couple or a very small family, you may want to offer them an alternate meal, such as a turkey breast (instead of a whole turkey), a ham or a chicken. Also, some people may want only a one-serving holiday meal (no leftovers), in which case you could check into the "already prepared" holiday meals offered by grocery stores and some area restaurants.
You should check to see what the family's cooking capabilities are - some may not have facilities to cook a turkey, particularly families living in local hotels. Also, even if they are able to cook, they may not have a large roasting pan. It is always good to check on these things beforehand and then do your best to make their meal(s) easy for them (within reason). If an unusual or difficult issue arises, please feel free to contact Germantown HELP for guidance.
Brief Sensitivity Training for Volunteers:
Not all families in need seem poor. The loss of a spouse may send a family toppling into severe financial problems, yet their home and clothing may seem "perfectly nice." Poverty isn’t always easily visible. Families respond to receiving “charity” in many different ways. Some families find it difficult to accept help and may not seem particularly friendly or grateful. Other families disguise their sense of shame in receiving help by acting angry or demanding – it may help them feel "in charge." Be assured that all the families in the Holiday Giving Program have been referred by social services agencies, churches and schools and are truly needy.
If a family isn’t home to receive the delivery of their gift (or doesn’t come to pick it up), it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t need the gift. Some families have difficulty organizing events in their lives. They miss important appointments and forget when things have been scheduled. Expect that there may be some families who won’t be home when you deliver - especially if the date was set well in advance. For families who are to pick up their own gift, there are even more barriers to overcome. A single mother with lots of little children may have significant difficulties using public transportation to pick up her heavy gift. If she arranges a ride or makes child care arrangements with a friend, she is subject to her friend’s dependability.
Involving children in the actual delivery of holiday gifts is a delicate matter. Donors should think carefully about confidentiality and respect for the family. The delivery may go to a child the donor child knows from school.
We hope your holiday basket experience is a joyful one, and we wish you a good holiday season!
Sample Holiday Gift
Serves up to 8 people -- Estimated cost $45.00
- Turkey, 12 to 14 lbs., or a grocery store certificate
- 5 lbs of potatoes
- 5 large sweet potatoes
- 1 lb. of carrots
- 3 lbs. of onions
- 1 bag of celery
- 3 lbs. of oranges and/or apples
- 3 16-oz. cans of gravy
- 2 16-oz. cans of jellied cranberry sauce
- 3 16-oz. cans of green beans, corn and/or peas
- 1 10-oz. box of stuffing mix
- 1 loaf of bread or dinner rolls
- 1 lb. box of butter or margarine
- 1 64-oz. container of juice
- 1 large pumpkin pie
Neat ideas from past donors...
- Use a new laundry basket as the “holiday basket” to put the food in, or decorate a box with gift wrap.
- A household bucket or a wicker basket filled with nonperishable food, potholders and kitchen towels with a holiday theme, along with a grocery store gift certificate.
- A nice floral centerpiece delivered along with a gift certificate enclosed in a holiday card.
- Include a pan to cook the turkey (disposable aluminum is fine)