Helping to Make the Holiday Season Brighter
Every year, Care & Share provides Holiday Support to members of the East Lyme/Niantic and Salem communities by providing gifts, warm winter wear, and holiday-themed food baskets.
We operate a holiday store at a location in the community that is donated to us. From early November through mid-December, we use this site as a collection point for gift items, new toys, gift cards, and new and gently used linens and coats, as well as new hats, gloves and mittens. Clients and members of the community who are in need of outerwear can obtain it by visiting the store. Linens will be available for clients on the Client Shopping Day. In, 2009 the holiday store is at 51 Pennsylvania Avenue in Niantic(Formerly Gracie-Gracie).
Care & Share, using donated items, in conjunction with assistance from local sponsors, fulfills Christmas/Chanukah requests, providing wrapped gifts to our clients.
In December, Care & Share holds an annual Holiday “Free Shopping Day.” On this day, clients can visit the Holiday Store and “shop” for a few new toys and gift items to supplement their holiday needs.
Volunteer Opportunities
It takes many volunteers to provide Holiday Support, and there are a variety of opportunities to help, including:
- Sponsoring a local family or individual’s Holiday Food Basket and/or Holiday Gift Basket
- Staffing the Holiday Store
- Intake of donated coats and linens
- Collecting donations from local merchants
- Refurbishing donated bicycles
- Packing and delivering holiday food baskets
Call Care & Share at 860-729-8502 to speak with our Holiday Support Chair to see how you can help make the holidays brighter for a local family or better yet, stop by the holiday store and speak with our volunteers in person.
Donations
Donations to stock the Holiday Store and meet client gift requests are welcomed.
You can also donate an item from one of our Angel Giving Trees that are located in many of the local banks and retail stores and at the holiday store throughout the Holiday season.
Checks and gift cards may be mailed to :
Care & Share of East Lyme, Inc.
PO Box 114
East Lyme, CT 06333
Gently used coats and linens as well as new hats gloves, mittens, toys and gift items may be delivered to the Holiday Store. We also have a need for holiday wrapping supplies; partial packages/rolls of wrapping paper and ribbon are gladly accepted.
If you would like to help fulfill a gift request(s) made by a client(s), please call Care & Share and one of our volunteers will contact you.
Together, we can help make the holiday season a brighter one for our entire community.
During the 2008 holiday season, between Thanksgiving & Christmas, Care & Share helped 154 families with food & gifts. We are very grateful for the support of the public and to the countless hours our volunteers worked to make this a happier holiday season in our community. Please check back at this section of the site in August 2009 for information about our 2009 holiday support activities
