Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga (CCTT) and the Joshua House of Owego are once again partnering this season to provide a gifting program for local children. This annual Adopt-a-Child program is helping well over 300 kids in Tioga County, N.Y. this year.
“It’s so important to us that each child wakes up with a gift to open on Christmas morning,” says CCTT Executive Director Renee Spear.
She added, “It’s hard to imagine any one child in Tioga County waking up and having nothing, and unfortunately, this would be the case if it weren’t for initiatives like this.” Spear states that this year the organization will be serving the highest number of vulnerable children in the program’s history.
Pictured are some of the more than 300 tags, each designated for a specific child in Tioga County, N.Y. Provided photo.
Tags are available in the community at various locations, including Tioga State Bank on Fifth Avenue, Scott Smith and Son, Roasted Coffee Bar, Scoville-Meno, The Goat Boy, and Confection Connection, all in Owego.
Tags are also available at Engelbert’s Farm Store and Tioga Downs, both in Nichols, and at Bostwick’s Antique Mall in Candor. Trees will remain up until Dec. 4.
Each tag represents a child that has been signed up for this program and has age, gender, clothing size, and some shopping ideas or specific needs listed.
More details are available at each location, or you can contact Michelle with any questions by email to michelle.mclaren@dor.org.
“We’ve built a lot of connections over the last couple of years with this program and we are beyond grateful for the businesses that have pledged financial support to help these children,” Spear adds.
Sponsors include Scott Smith & Son, Radigan Media and WEBO, EE Root, Upstate Shredding, Scoville-Meno, Tioga Downs, Ahwaga Paint and Floor, Jeff Kies Auto, Lopke, and Fidelis.
Additional acknowledgment goes to Best Buy, the Owego Nazarene Church, and Crown Cork and Seal for participating in the program this year and helping to make it possible to accommodate the increase in registrations.
Spear is optimistic that Tioga County will rally around these families.
“The community certainly has the heart to help, and we are excited for another year of bringing joy to our neighbors,” said Spear.
To find out how you can help in more ways with CCTT, or learn about the programs and resources they offer, visit www.catholiccharitiestt.org.
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