A long, divisive election season is behind us, but sometimes it seems like there will be no end in sight to our divisions as a society.
Part of what we do in the newsroom is try to understand these divisions and provide accurate information to counter the misinformation that is always swirling, but we also tell important human stories that highlight the ties that bind us.
One such story has to be the magic that the Telegram & Gazette Santa Fund brings to so many children in our community. I’m excited to announce today that we have started our annual fundraising campaign and I want to encourage you to help us make it a great season.
This will be the 86th year for the Santa Fund. One of the great responsibilities and privileges of my work as editor-in-chief of the T&G over the past two years has been to ensure that the fund can be a source of joy for years to come.
I was able to see that joy with my own eyes. Last year I saw it in the faces of children of all ages who received toys from the Santa Fund at a holiday party hosted by the Worcester Housing Authority at the Curtis Apartments. I’ve also seen it on the faces of volunteers who spend hours collecting toys to distribute to social services across the region.
This year these agencies include Canterbury Street School; Catholic Charities of Worcester County; Catholic Charities-Southbridge; Centro Las Americas Inc.; the Ministry of Mental Health; Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health; Devereux therapeutic foster care-Rutland; Friendly house; Gardner CAC; Guild of St. Agnes; Jeremiah’s Inn; Pernet Family Health Service; Rainbow Child Development Center; Spanish American Center; The Salvation Army of Fitchburg, Milford and Worcester; Winchendon CAC; Worcester Housing Authority; and Yes We Care Inc.
We connect with these organizations through the help of our essential partner, the United Way of Central Massachusetts. I am so grateful for the support of the United Way team; without them we simply couldn’t do it.
“The T&G Santa is part of the fabric of our community,” said Tim Garvin, president and CEO of United Way. “It’s an opportunity for all of us to work together to ensure that all children have a wonderful holiday season; a season where all children feel cared for and loved. We at United Way are proud and honored to partner with Telegram and Government Gazette.”
This year our goal is to purchase toys and books for more than 7,500 children in need in Central Massachusetts. That’s up from less than 7,000 more than two years ago.
To make this possible we need help.
Help from some of the major donors who have spent tens and thousands of dollars over the years to maintain the fund: people like Mary Streeter DeFeudis, Steven Bott and the members of the Retired Friends Club of Greendale, to name a few to mention.
We are also grateful for the support of Charles “Chip” Norton, director of the Mercantile Center, home of T&G’s newsroom. Not only did he donate generously to support the fund, he also proudly displayed a Santa Fund sleigh in the building’s lobby.
But we also need the smaller donations of $100, $50, $25 and $10 from regular readers. Over the years, many of these readers have donated in memory of someone special, or as one of our many anonymous “Santa’s Helpers.”
It’s a big ask, but I believe in our readers.
As Tim Garvin said, “This I know and this I guarantee: If you donate to T&G Santa, you will feel great and a child will enjoy the holiday. Please act generously.”
It’s time to come together for the Santa Fund.
You can donate at telegram.com/santa; or find the coupon in the ad in today’s newspaper, cut it out and send a check to the address listed at Berkshire Bank, or scan the QR code.
Thank you for your support.
Michael McDermott is editor-in-chief of Telegram & Gazette.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Time to come together for T&G Santa
