It’s Holiday Season: Here’s How You Celebrate
As we make plans to give thanks and celebrate in the coming weeks, please keep in mind that many of our Montgomery County neighbors will be facing the challenge of simply trying to meet the basic needs of their families. They deserve our thoughts and they need our help.
While this county’s median income is more than $160,000, the average household income of families utilizing Housing Choice Vouchers and living in Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) homes is less than $25,000. For them, celebrating the holidays, putting a Thanksgiving dinner on the table and affording gifts for their children is just beyond reach.
Making the Holidays Happy
That’s why HOC and Housing Opportunities Community Partners (HOCP) are long-time partners with the Holiday Giving Project (HGP) of Montgomery County. The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to low-income households for more than three decades. Each year, HOC refers 3,000 families to HGP for holiday assistance.
Families receive food baskets, gift cards and other types of assistance. More than 50 organizations – faith-based communities, local agencies and area businesses – donate resources to make the holidays not just possible, but enjoyable and happy for HOC families. In partnership with them, we coordinate the distribution of assistance and often deliver baskets to many homebound families. What’s more, HOCP dedicates resources every year to fill the gaps (and the gaps are growing) when the Holiday Giving Project cannot meet all the needs.
How You Can Give Thanks
The simple phrase “thank you” conveys a concept we learn in our youth, but those two words barely scratch the surface of what true gratitude means. It’s when we look beyond our own lives and act charitably by employing our good fortune in service to others that we truly convey a deeper sense of appreciation for all that we have.
This holiday season, you can express your thanks and make a tangible difference for families in our Montgomery County community. Please consider contributing to Community Partners in support of the Holiday Giving Project. Your tax-deductible donation will directly help HOC families enjoy the holidays as much as you do. We thank you. Most importantly, they thank you.