Tag: “Aaron Bourke”

Aaron Bourke writes in-

Hey Joey,
Hope this finds you well and happy.

The other night my wife and I were discussing which local charity to support this Holiday season.  We have decided to make Wellspring House our choice.  They have this cool program set up to help families purchase gifts and necessities for their children. I would send you the link, but that is somewhat beyond my capabilities at this moment.

Perhaps you could post something about the program if you see it fit.  We don’t have children, but the mere thought of  one not having something to look forward to really struck us. I can’t imagine the pressure on a parent in need this time of year. 

I think The Holiday Store is a GREAT IDEA!!!
Cheers,  AB

Wow, thanks Aaron for bringing this to my attention.  I had never heard of it before but it really is a worthy cause to donate to.  Here are the deets for the Wellspring House website–

Wellspring’s 16th Annual Holiday Store

Saturday, December 8^th and Sunday, December 9^th

Hear about board member Trish Castraberti’s Holiday Store experience here in Trish’s letter.

Wellspring’s 16^th Annual Holiday Store will joyfully open its doors once again this year. The operation of the Holiday Store relies strongly on the contributions of our generous and committed community of supporters. Last year the gifts we collected made it possible for Wellspring to serve more than 225 families and provide gifts for over 500 children. The needs are even greater this year and we aspire make the Christmas Holiday special for even more families.

Please consider brightening the holiday season for those in need by heading up a toy drive on behalf of the families that we serve!

Gifts must be dropped off at Wellspring House by Monday, December 3, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Some suggestions……

Young Children:

• Young boys like trucks, Legos and Matchbox cars,  dinosaurs, Disney characters and action hero figures.  Superhero pajamas are also well-received.  
• Young girls are always drawn to baby dolls and tea sets and toy kitchens.  “Dress up” items are also fun.  Barbie and Disney related toys are popular choices.  Stuffed animals (particularly beanie babies and Webkinz) and hoola-hoops are also well-liked.
• Boys and girls both like Play-Doh, toy guitars and keyboards, Disney characters, jump-rope, sidewalk chalk and and Lincoln Logs. 

Middle Age and Older Children:

• Boy of all ages tend to gravitate to sports items, whether it be equipment, games, sports shirts or other items.  There are some reasonably priced tennis racquets and badminton sets at Target.
• Girls like make up, hair and nail accessories as well as clothing items like shirts, fashion scarves, purses and bags.  “Make-your-own” jewelry/arts + crafts kits are enjoyed as well. 

Winners For Everyone:

• Art supplies are always well-liked.  These can range from crayons and markers to paint/pen sets, and even small canvases.  A great resource for these kinds of gifts is A.C. Moore.
  
• Clothing is always appreciated.  The best things to purchase are shoes and shirts as those are easiest to match in terms of fit.
• Books are welcomed and encouraged – we make sure that each child takes home a book from the Holiday Store.
• Boardgames are fun for the whole family.  Games like Uno, Monopoly, Apples-to Apples, Clue, Twister make for great gifts.     

Please note – all gifts should be new, unwrapped and non-violent.