NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A new program from THRIVE Peninsula will provide 400 children whose families have faced significant financial hardship in 2021 with Christmas joy.
"Let Christmas THRIVE" will provide families with one $75 gift card per child in the household, allowing parents to pick out gifts for their children during the holiday season without having to worry about how they'll pay.
“These families have struggled to keep a roof overhead and the lights on this year, the vast majority of them due to COVID-19,” Angela York, THRIVE’s executive director, said. “We wanted to do something special for them so they can feel that joy that Christmas brings at a time when it is desperately needed. There’s something special about choosing the perfect color, size, and brand toy for your child. Through this program, we want to give that joy back to the parents”.
The chosen families were also recipients of THRIVE's Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance Program in 2021 and have been pre-screened to receive assistance.
According to THRIVE, the agency aims to raise $30,000 to fund "Let Christmas THRIVE." To date, the organization has raised $14,000 of its goal.
Donations are being collected between now and November 12th and will be distributed to families after Thanksgiving.
