Once again the Cabin John Citizens Association is partnering with the community of Brookmont and SOME to provide holiday gifts for families in need. To participate, just go to the tree outside of the Clara Barton Community Center and pick one or more of the cards that are tied like ornaments to the tree. The cards have the information you need purchase a gift that will brighten somebody’s holiday.
SOME (So Others Might Eat) is an interfaith, community-based organization provides food, shelter, education, training and other services to the poor and homeless in Washington D.C. (website: www.some.org)The families we help are those who live in SOME’s transitional housing.
The children’s “ornaments” have the name, age, and gender on it as well as gift suggestions. Gifts are usually in the price range of $20-$40. Any dolls should be African American, please supply batteries with toys, and bring no toys of violence (guns, pistols, etc.). Please do NOT wrap your gift. (The parents like to wrap the gifts for their children)
Visa gift cards are great ideas for teenagers!
This year there is also the option of buying a family gift. The children’s parents are setting up their homes in the SOME transitional housing and are in need of a range of new household items, including pots, pans, sheets, comforters, towels and cleaning supplies. Gift cards to Target or Kmart are also very nice gifts, enabling the parents to select what they need for their home.
It is very important that you attach the ornament with the recipient information to your gift. Lori Rieckelman spearheads this community effort. She asks that unwrapped gifts either be:
* brought to the CJCA Holiday party that will be held Dec. 13 at the Clara Barton Community Center
* dropped off at 6423 79th Street. (Please place the gift in the bin on the front porch.)
Please do not pick an ornament if you cannot follow through with donating a gift. Every year there are several ornaments that are picked from the tree and no gifts are donated. This creates difficulty at the last minute so please be mindful of this.
Questions? Email Lori at rieckell@aol.com or call her at 301-320-6299.
