SLLW Gift Collection In Full Swing

(SLLW) holds one of the largest in the region and this year, they will be fulfilling holiday wishes for 2,700 children affected by poverty and/or HIV/AIDS and served by over 35 agencies around Fairfield County.

“It's stressful. Every year we wonder if we’re going to make it,” Takeia McAlister, Holiday Gift Collection Manager at St. Luke’s LifeWorks, said. “But this year we’re really seeing the effect of the economy."

While SLLW’s donors are still giving, many have had to scale back. At the same time, the need for holiday gifts is larger than in year’s past. The number of children is typically capped at 2,500 — this year, they decided to include 200 additional children, meaning that they are providing 2,700 children with two wrapped and personalized gifts each this holiday season.

The need is so great this year, that the deadline for donations has been extendd to December 15 to allow more time for that final push.

“We wanted to give people those extra two Saturdays to shop,” McAlister said. “We’re really pressing, but we still have 1,000 kids who need sponsors.”

Anyone who wants to help Saint Luke’s LifeWorks this holiday season has a few options — they can choose a child’s wish card and fulfill their holiday gift requests, they can donate general gifts that are used to fill in the gaps, or they can give a monetary donation to help SLLW fulfill the remaining wish cards themselves.

“We’re tax exempt, so the money can go a little farther and save someone the time of shopping,” McAlister said. “This is December, everyone and their grandmother is out trying to live and trying to shop.”

Gifts are needed across the age groups — from newborn through 13 years old, See 'n' Says to action figures to art supplies. Little Tikes Sports Sets, handheld electronic games, art kits, and MP3 players are among the top-desired items and a full list can be viewed here. Each child receives one educational toy and one general toy for the holidays.

With over 5,000 personalized gifts to wrap — SLLW can also use donations of wrapping paper.

“We’d rather use donations on the actual gifts, so that's a big help,” McAlister said.

A bright spot in a year that’s already proving tough on holiday collections — SLLW has actually seen an increase in new people helping out with the Holiday Gift Collection.

“We’re already so very thankful for all the help we get,” McAlister said. “We don’t mean to beg, but the only way to get what we need is to ask.”