Whether you stop into the Drowsy Whaler for your morning cup of coffee (or daily biscuit) or you swing by H3 Pet Supply just after work to pick up our furry family member’s dinner, you’ve probably seen a festive, lit up, Christmas tree or a special box for toys or books, even before Thanksgiving came and went.
The Stratford Junior Woman’s Club has placed 6 sparkling Christmas trees in local businesses/organizations, along with an empty box, awaiting the delivery of a child’s fulfilled wish this holiday season.
The Stratford Junior Woman’s Club is a nonprofit organization, providing helping hands in the community they love – Stratford. The Stratford Junior Woman’s Club is a chapter of the Connecticut Junior Women’s Club, which exists in 64 different communities within the state.
Stratford chapter president, Susan Kostopoulos, said, “Our group has also been coordinating a holiday toy drive and adopt-a-family program for the past 14 years which provides holiday gifts for over 700 children in our town.” What makes this holiday toy drive extra special is how many businesses are participating this year. The 10 local small businesses taking part in the holiday toy drive offer a wide and varied reach across Stratford.
The work of the Club doesn’t start and stop with gifts or awarding scholarships to deserving students. Their work speaks to connection, community, and consistency. You can be a part of it! In three easy steps, you can grant a wish for a local child who attends one of Stratford’s elementary schools.
First: Hop into one of the 10 local participating businesses which I’ve named below, and grab a tag from the tree. (Each tag has the name of items a child in town has asked for.)
Second: Shop for the items requested.
Third: Drop off the unwrapped item(s) back at the location from which you got the tag.
What happens if there are tags left on the tree(s) after the donated toys are collected by the Stratford Junior Woman’s Club? The Club will shop for any remaining gifts so that every child/family has something. Over the last year, the Club has hosted fundraisers for this very reason – to give the gift of dignity for parent/caregiver and child.
In speaking with the Stratford Crier, Kostopoulos went on to say that, “The Stratford Junior Woman’s Club has been serving the Stratford community for over 40 years. Through our sponsorship of various social and personal enrichment programs for women and children, as well as the presentation of fun family-oriented fundraisers and educational events such as our Children’s Bingo and the 5th and 6th Grade Town-wide Spelling Bee, the Stratford JWC is well established as a respected community group. This year, we will have a tree at the Stratford Library and M.J. Thomas Jewelers as well.”
With a little over 10 days until Hanukkah (which begins on Dec. 14th) and 20 days until Christmas (with Kwanzaa on Dec. 26th), you have until December 8th to drop off toys, a book or two, and grab a tag from a tree if you choose, and give a child the warm and fuzzy feeling of knowing that they have something with their name on it to open the first night of Hanukkah or find under the Christmas tree.
The Stratford Junior Woman’s Club reminds us all that community matters, and helping hands are just around the corner.
Here is a list of businesses where you can drop off an unwrapped toy or book, and/or pick up a tag from one of the participating locations with trees:
Obodo Serendipity Books (tree with tags)
MJ Thomas Jewelers (tree with tags)
Stratford Public Library (tree with tags)
Stratford Little Pub (tree with tags)
H3 Pet Supply (tree with tags)
Mellow Monkey (tree with tags)
Drowsy Whaler (toy/book box)
Dal Mare Pizzeria (toy/book box)
Lordship Corner Market (toy/book box)
Blue Sky Diner (toy/book box)
All items must be dropped off by December 8th!
Thank you! And however you celebrate the season, may it be a joyous and meaningful time for you.
