Still going strong after six years, Lincoln County Family Holiday Wishes, is hoping to top last year’s effort providing holiday gifts and dinners to families in need.
According to Executive Director Cynthia Simonds, Family Holiday Wishes began as The Positive Matters Foundation, a non-profit organization developed in the late 1990s to provide soft fleece blankets to people in long-term healthcare facilities and emergency situations.
She explained how the events Sept. 11, 2001, helped the Positive Matters Foundation evolve into the Lincoln County Support Effort, a coordinated community wide initiative to help the victims of that tragedy.
Joined by Greg Latimer and Sara Wentworth, Simonds helped create a network of Lincoln County people looking to assist victims. In mid-September they brought three trucks full of bottled water, blankets, clothing, and booties for the rescue dogs, to New York City.
They returned that Christmas to provide holiday gifts for families who lost a loved one in the World Trade Center attacks, according to Simonds. The following year they created Family Holiday Wishes to give holiday gifts and meals to local families in need.
Since 2002, Family Holiday Wishes has been helping local disadvantaged families have a happier holiday season. Two years ago, The Positive Matters Foundation adopted Family Holiday Wishes. Simonds explained they have helped thousands of children in the area through the years.
This year, she expects more people will need help than ever before, including families that have never had to ask for assistance previously.
“We know this year is difficult for everyone,” Simonds said. “More than any other year, we are trying to connect people who want to give with people who really need it. You never know who needs help, it could be your neighbor or the guy who lives down the street.”
Family Holiday Wishes works with the existing holiday programs in each area. Simonds explained in Bristol, South Bristol, and Nobleboro the fire departments collect the gifts, in Waldoboro the Police Dept. helps out.
The Boothbay Town Office takes care of the towns of Edgecomb, Boothbay and Southport, the Wiscasset Town Office used to manage their own gift collection as well. This month, LCFHW took over Wiscasset and Westport, as well, after the towns were unable to continue work on the program.
“We’re in communication with other programs to be sure we can serve as many families as possible while avoiding duplication,” Simonds said. “We manage the gift collection for Damariscotta, Newcastle, Bremen, Dresden, Alna, Whitefield, Jefferson, and Somerville.”
Help from the program begins when a family calls the help-line number, 350-1166, to ask for confidential assistance. Simonds explained Family Holiday Wishes assesses needs, and takes down three gift wishes from each child in that family.
“We write each wish on a pink or blue tag according to the child’s gender,” she said. “A blue tag might say matchbox cars for six year old boy, or a pink tag might request winter boots for a three year old girl.”
All wishes remain private, Simonds said. She explained each child is given a number, each gift tag contains the child’s number, so each gift with a tag is put into the appropriate numbered bag as it comes in. No one knows which wish goes with which child.
According to Simonds, the wish tags are hung on Christmas trees on the back of drop-boxes located all over Lincoln County. She expects to have boxes out by next week.
Drop boxes will be available locally at Renys Underground, Louis Doe’s Home Center, Damariscotta Hardware, Maine Coast Book Store, Rising Tide, Salt Bay Café, Reunion Station, the Wiscasset Town Office, and the Wiscasset Community Center, among other places.
“People take a tag off a tree, purchase the gift and attach the tag, and return it to a drop-box,” she said. “We pick up the gifts at the drop box and bring them to the staging area to be wrapped.”
She explained the organization wanted to be sure there were many places to pick up tags and drop off gifts to allow as many people as possible to help. Dec. 12 is that last day to drop off donations of toys and gifts.
“We’re hoping this year everyone who can makes a little extra effort, and that will make a big difference for a lot of kids,” said Simonds. “We try to make sure all kids have warm clothes, a nice holiday meal, and to keep a little bit of the magic alive for children who otherwise wouldn’t have anything under the tree.”
She is grateful to the many volunteers and contributors who make the program possible each year. Simonds explained that many people giving their time, money, and gift or food donations keep the program thriving.
Mainely Turkeys donated 75 turkeys for the holiday meals last year. “He gave us almost all the turkeys for the program last year, 75 big, beautiful, frozen turkeys,” she said. “He did it all himself out of his own pocket. That is the kind of generosity that makes a difference for local families.”
According to Simonds, an integral part of the Holiday Wishes team is the Volunteer Intake Coordinator, Carol O., who helped develop the program. “It is through dedication like hers and dozens of other elves that we are able to come together as a community and do things greater than the sum of our efforts,” said Simonds.
Simonds can see the fruits of her labor the day before the families pick-up their gifts. “It looks like 500 Christmases, it’s awesome,” she said. “Each gift was purchased by someone who wanted to make a difference. It feels good to know 114 families had a good healthy dinner last holiday.”