Thousands Helped During December Holidays
Posted 12/29/2010

Community Thanked for Supporting Gaithersburg’s Holiday Giving Program

Thanks to the generosity of the entire community, nearly 2,600 Gaithersburg residents received donations to help make their holidays a little happier this season.  Donations are coordinated through the City’s Holiday Giving program, with referrals being made to Gaithersburg’s Community Services office from area schools and nonprofit counselors.  The program operates in tandem with the countywide Holiday Giving Program to ensure non-duplication of services and efficient use of resources.  Countywide this effort is coordinated by Interfaith Works in conjunction with the Montgomery County Health and Human Services and Volunteer Center. 

Hundreds of volunteers, businesses, organizations and nonprofits joined efforts to ensure that all who were referred received some level of support, ranging from Target and grocery store gift cards to fresh fruit, books, and stockings filled with toys and trinkets.  Whole Foods, Butler’s Orchard and the Reading Tree, Inc. were very supportive of the effort.  Additionally, the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program donated over 700 toys for the distribution effort. 

A very special thank you is extended to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, whose members contributed thousands of volunteer hours in the coordination of this program.  A special thank you is also extended to Grace United Methodist Church for hosting distribution nights on December 15 and 16.  Despite the season’s first snow fall, hundreds of families showed up to collect their donations, and a cadre of City staff from several departments and dozens of volunteers helped the process run as smoothly as possible.

Holiday Giving distributions take place at Thanksgiving and for the December holidays, but donations are accepted year round.  To contribute or to learn more please visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/communityservices or call 301-258-6395 x2.