Operation Holiday is launching its fundraising campaign for the 2025 program, marking its 35th year of supporting struggling families in the region. The initiative aims to provide essential food and gifts to those in need during the holiday season, reflecting the ongoing challenges faced by local food pantries.
This year, Operation Holiday seeks to assist 199 families and provide gifts for 403 children referred by 22 agencies. These agencies represent various sectors, including food pantries, early learning centers, schools, social services, and health clinics across Montgomery, Chester, and Berks counties. Referrals for assistance are exclusively sourced from these partnership agencies, ensuring that all families receive vetted support.
Meeting Growing Needs with Community Support
In addition to holiday gifts, Operation Holiday has made significant contributions to local food pantries in recent years, donating several thousand dollars annually. Last year, the program received a total of $84,236 from 619 donations, highlighting the generosity of community members. Donations varied from as little as $10 to as much as $5,000. Notably, there are no corporate or foundation sponsors involved, meaning all funds directly benefit local families without management or fundraising overhead costs.
Founded in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown, Operation Holiday was established to help families facing difficult circumstances provide for their children during the holidays. The program’s mission is clear: to ensure that families have food on the table and gifts under the tree come Christmas morning. Over the years, Operation Holiday has served thousands of families, increasingly expanding its outreach to include readers of the Reading Eagle, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News.
How to Contribute to Operation Holiday
Each participating family receives gift cards to local grocery stores, enabling them to purchase holiday meal ingredients and pantry staples. The program collaborates with Weis Markets for food purchases and gift cards, enhancing its ability to provide necessary support. For children aged 16 years or younger, gift cards are procured through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with referring agencies, allowing families to select gifts of their choice.
It is important to note that Operation Holiday only accepts families referred by vetted agencies. Funding for the program comes solely from reader contributions, which are fully tax-deductible. Contributions can be made through a secure online portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Interested donors can visit tcnetwork.org and navigate to the Operation Holiday link. Alternatively, checks can be mailed to various addresses, including:
- Operation Holiday, P.O. Box 1181, Pottstown, PA 19464
- The Reporter, 34 Susquehanna Ave., Suite 100, Lansdale, PA 19446
- Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading, PA 19607
As contributions are received, the names of all donors are published in participating newspapers. Donors are encouraged to specify if they wish for their contribution to remain anonymous or to be made in tribute or memory of someone.
With its longstanding commitment to helping families in need, Operation Holiday exemplifies the spirit of community support and generosity during the holiday season.
