THE LUZERNE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY CHAMPION OF THE WEEK THE Luzerne FOUNDATION Here for good. Community Champion of the Week: Valley Santa Valley Santa is an organization started in 1984 for one mission, to provide presents for the area children who would not otherwise receive them. Last year it served five thousand four hundred and twenty-four children throughout Luzerne County. Parents or agencies can request a gift, whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or need a birthday gift to hold onto for the future. In a world where families are facing food insecurity and housing insecurity, presents can seem frivolous to some but for our organization it's about children knowing that they're heard and listened to and recognized. The feeling of being seen stays with children as they grow. Each child receives an individually shopped for present as well as a book based on their own requests. The presents are then delivered directly to the families just as if they were ordered from an online store. The presents include gift bags so that the families have everything they need for Christmas morning. Valley Santa does what it does with the help of volunteers at every level without any paid staff. Over three hundred people from our community volunteer during the months of November and December. Volunteers do the intake of all the letter requests, they then shop at Boscov's in the morning before the store opens to the public, and finally they pack and sometimes wrap the presents in the evenings. Valley Santa is funded entirely by donations and grants from our community which makes it truly a community based organization. Incredible partners all over the community who raise money for Valley Santa with events and activities. Valley Santa also has longstanding partners in Boscov's, The Citizen's Voice, Family Service Association's Helpline, M&T Bank, and Rodano's. Valley Santa exists so that no child will be left without presents for the holidays. If you would like to support their efforts, please visit www. valleysanta.org or checks can be sent to Valley Santa PO Box 5276, Wilkes- Barre PA 18703. Working together makes our community stronger. If you have a cause near to your heart and want to make a difference here in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond, please call us at the Luzerne Foundation or visit www.luzfdn.org for more information. Valley Santa Providing gifts for children since 1984 Do you want to make our community better? So do we. Let's do it together. Because of you and for you, we are... Here for good. THE LUZERNE FOUNDATION 34 SOUTH RIVER ST. WILKES-BARRE, PA 18702 WWW.LUZFDN.ORG 570.822.2065 THE LUZERNE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY CHAMPION OF THE WEEK THE Luzerne FOUNDATION Here for good . Community Champion of the Week : Valley Santa Valley Santa is an organization started in 1984 for one mission , to provide presents for the area children who would not otherwise receive them . Last year it served five thousand four hundred and twenty - four children throughout Luzerne County . Parents or agencies can request a gift , whether they celebrate Christmas , Hanukkah , Kwanzaa or need a birthday gift to hold onto for the future . In a world where families are facing food insecurity and housing insecurity , presents can seem frivolous to some but for our organization it's about children knowing that they're heard and listened to and recognized . The feeling of being seen stays with children as they grow . Each child receives an individually shopped for present as well as a book based on their own requests . The presents are then delivered directly to the families just as if they were ordered from an online store . The presents include gift bags so that the families have everything they need for Christmas morning . Valley Santa does what it does with the help of volunteers at every level without any paid staff . Over three hundred people from our community volunteer during the months of November and December . Volunteers do the intake of all the letter requests , they then shop at Boscov's in the morning before the store opens to the public , and finally they pack and sometimes wrap the presents in the evenings . Valley Santa is funded entirely by donations and grants from our community which makes it truly a community based organization . Incredible partners all over the community who raise money for Valley Santa with events and activities . Valley Santa also has longstanding partners in Boscov's , The Citizen's Voice , Family Service Association's Helpline , M & T Bank , and Rodano's . Valley Santa exists so that no child will be left without presents for the holidays . If you would like to support their efforts , please visit www . valleysanta.org or checks can be sent to Valley Santa PO Box 5276 , Wilkes- Barre PA 18703 . Working together makes our community stronger . If you have a cause near to your heart and want to make a difference here in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond , please call us at the Luzerne Foundation or visit www.luzfdn.org for more information . Valley Santa Providing gifts for children since 1984 Do you want to make our community better ? So do we . Let's do it together . Because of you and for you , we are ... Here for good . THE LUZERNE FOUNDATION 34 SOUTH RIVER ST . WILKES - BARRE , PA 18702 WWW.LUZFDN.ORG 570.822.2065