A decade and oodles of presents ago, two Ridgefield moms hit the aisles of Kohl’s during the holiday season to purchase gifts for neighborhood kids in need.
“It started with just Elaine [Cox] and I and then it grew,” explains volunteer and happy gift-buyer Lori Berisford.
“It” is The Evelyn C. Peeler Children’s Holiday Gift Fund, an all-volunteer organization that is operated under the auspices of the Ridgefield Clergy Association and the First Congregational Church in Ridgefield.
According to The First Congregational Church, the goal of The Evelyn C. Peeler Children’s Holiday Gift Fund is to make sure that needy Ridgefield children have gifts to open during the holiday season and a holiday meal at the table. The fund also offers a Back-To-School program in the summer.
“We meet for breakfast, grab our Kohl's coupons and go shop! We each take a child or two and buy all of the items on their wish list,” says Berisford.
Shown in this photo (courtesy of holiday shopper, Jill Bornstein) is Sue Kreith-Buckanavage, Jill Bornstein, Elaine Kenna Cox, Patricia Donahue Ross, Anne Stauff, and Marilyn Camarda.
Contributions may be sent to The Evelyn C. Peeler Children’s Holiday Gift Fund, c/o UPS Store #218, 54 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, 06877. For information, call Susan Ferguson at 203-431-4546.
Want to be Santa's helper? The First Congregational Church needs help wrapping the gifts on Thursday, December 10th. If you can give an hour of your time, it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Sue Ferguson (431-4546).
To learn more about this special holiday fund, click here.
*Image courtesy of Jill Bornstein