Public's generosity lets children give too
By Gillian Graham
Staff Writer
After breakfasting on pancakes and meeting with Santa, children will leave their parents to do a little shopping.
For the fourth year, Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center will offer area children an opportunity to “shop” for gifts for their families in a room of donated items.
New to the annual event is a Santa pancake breakfast for the whole family at Bon Appetite Meal Program at Second Congregational Church in Biddeford.
Joyful Harvest Director Shay Stewart-Bouley said children 5 to 17 years old are invited to take part in the program from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at the church. A second shopping session is scheduled from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Dec. 21 at Joyful Harvest on Water Street.
Stewart-Bouley said the event gives children a chance to pick out gifts they otherwise would not be able to afford. Each child can take between two and four presents to give to parents, grandparents or other adults in their lives. They can also choose a toy for a sibling, she said.
“They’re used to getting and we want to give then an opportunity to give,” she said.
Since the breakfast and gifts are all free, Stewart-Bouley said the program relies heavily on gift donations from the public. Especially needed this year are gifts for men – anything from small tool kits to work gloves, she said.
Stewart-Bouley said donated gifts don’t need to be elaborate and encourages people to pick out items at local dollar stores. Gifts can also be gently used as long as they are still in appropriate condition to give as a gift, she said.
Volunteers will wrap gifts after children are done with their shopping.
Last year, 82 children from Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Kennebunk chose 340 gifts to give to family members, Stewart-Bouley said. With the addition of the pancake breakfast, organizers are expecting even more people to participate.
Second Congregational Church Pastor Marilyn Glavin said she wanted to offer a Santa pancake breakfast in Biddeford after attending one in Sebago last year. The church supports both Bon Appetite, which is based at the church, and Joyful Harvest, so teaming up to offer the holiday event seemed perfect, she said.
“It just seemed like we could reach more people and be more effective by doing it as a collaborative effort,” she said.
Stewart-Bouley said she looks forward to the event because of the children’s response.
“The expression of joy on their faces when they finish shopping, it’s just so worth doing it year after year,” she said.
Donated gifts can be dropped off from 2 to 5 p.m. at Joyful Harvest. To arrange for pickup of donations or for more information, call Shay at 286-9105.
Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Staff Writer
After breakfasting on pancakes and meeting with Santa, children will leave their parents to do a little shopping.
For the fourth year, Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center will offer area children an opportunity to “shop” for gifts for their families in a room of donated items.
New to the annual event is a Santa pancake breakfast for the whole family at Bon Appetite Meal Program at Second Congregational Church in Biddeford.
Joyful Harvest Director Shay Stewart-Bouley said children 5 to 17 years old are invited to take part in the program from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at the church. A second shopping session is scheduled from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Dec. 21 at Joyful Harvest on Water Street.
Stewart-Bouley said the event gives children a chance to pick out gifts they otherwise would not be able to afford. Each child can take between two and four presents to give to parents, grandparents or other adults in their lives. They can also choose a toy for a sibling, she said.
“They’re used to getting and we want to give then an opportunity to give,” she said.
Since the breakfast and gifts are all free, Stewart-Bouley said the program relies heavily on gift donations from the public. Especially needed this year are gifts for men – anything from small tool kits to work gloves, she said.
Stewart-Bouley said donated gifts don’t need to be elaborate and encourages people to pick out items at local dollar stores. Gifts can also be gently used as long as they are still in appropriate condition to give as a gift, she said.
Volunteers will wrap gifts after children are done with their shopping.
Last year, 82 children from Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Kennebunk chose 340 gifts to give to family members, Stewart-Bouley said. With the addition of the pancake breakfast, organizers are expecting even more people to participate.
Second Congregational Church Pastor Marilyn Glavin said she wanted to offer a Santa pancake breakfast in Biddeford after attending one in Sebago last year. The church supports both Bon Appetite, which is based at the church, and Joyful Harvest, so teaming up to offer the holiday event seemed perfect, she said.
“It just seemed like we could reach more people and be more effective by doing it as a collaborative effort,” she said.
Stewart-Bouley said she looks forward to the event because of the children’s response.
“The expression of joy on their faces when they finish shopping, it’s just so worth doing it year after year,” she said.
Donated gifts can be dropped off from 2 to 5 p.m. at Joyful Harvest. To arrange for pickup of donations or for more information, call Shay at 286-9105.
Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
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