Christmas Connection still needs a space to collect holiday donations
The holiday season is fast approaching and the Christmas Connection is still on the hunt for a space to set up Santa's workshop for this year's donation program.
Every year generous donors have stepped forward, but so far the annual charity still needs a site with between 10,000 to 15,000 square feet of donated open warehouse space for about 8 weeks of operations from the week of Nov. 13 through Jan. 5, 2024, said Pattie Malarney, Christmas Connection Coordinator for 2023.
The Christmas Connection, program through Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, has been fulfilling wishes and basic needs for hundreds of families for 43 years. They provide toys, bikes, books, baby items, blankets, food, toiletries, housewares and essentials to families in need during the holiday season. Christmas Connection also hosts a Blanket Day drive, planned this year for Dec. 2-3.
Families are referred to this program by the 40 social service agencies that Catholic Charities partners with to provide hope and joy in the community. Last year over 700 families and 3,000 individuals were served because of the generosity and kindness of the community.
The program has expanded from serving 25 families in 1979 to over 500 families each year in the Big Bend area and serves families in Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla, Madison, Franklin, and Jefferson Counties.
Christmas Connection would not happen without the generous support of the local communities through their donations, adopting families in need and volunteering at the site. The adoption, volunteer and donation link go live on thechristmasconnection.org beginning the week of Nov. 6.
The site is scheduled to be operational Sunday, Nov. 26, through Sunday, Dec. 17. Christmas Connection starts shopping for cases Friday, Dec. 8. The site closes for shopping and donations Dec. 18 and agency and volunteer deliveries run from Dec. 14-19.
If you can help find a site, contact the Christmas Connection information line at 850-665-3852 or email malarneyp@cc.ptdiocese.org.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee's Christmas Connection seeks space for holiday donations
