Wrapping up another successful Holiday Drive 2022

It’s amazing to think about the amount of effort that goes into planning for our annual Holiday Drive.  But the results always make the efforts all worthwhile. All the gifts were received, sorted and wrapped as of December 7, and the drivers making the deliveries picked everything up on the 8th.  Many deliveries have now been made and the thanks are coming in.  We have posted a few here so you will know how special this can be:

• Thank you so much for stopping by with treats and gifts. I very much appreciate it!  Please extend my thanks to the rest of the folks at T&E Care, who have helped me along this journey.
• Thank you for taking the time to drop off the wonderful presents this morning and for being apart of T&E Care!  I am in awe and soo thankful! Thank you soo much for helping me and our family at this Christmas time.
• I cannot express how truly thankful I am for T&E Care’s support with the Holiday Drive. I was always on the other side of things, being the one that donated gifts to families in need, and now I am on the other side of needing support. It is so difficult for me to ask for help, but I am beyond grateful for what this organization does. As a single mom to three kids, just getting through a divorce, losing my job, and having been in the hospital for medical issues, these donations from the Holiday Drive are a lifesaver and will give my family the opportunity for a happy Christmas together, without the stress of scrambling to find a way to provide gifts for my children. I cannot thank you enough, and everyone who is a part of this Holiday Drive. Your kindness does not go unnoticed. 
• Thank you so very much for this support and for helping us throughout the year.  Can I give you a hug???
• Hi to everyone on the T&E Care team . I want to thank you all for everything you have helped my family with ! We are very thankful and grateful for everything. We love and appreciate how you guys/lady’s are able to help us this year ❤️
• I would like to thank you and T&E Care for everything you have done for our family. You guys are such a blessing. You will always be in our prayers and thoughts. May you and your family have the happiest and healthiest, Christmas and the happiest new year. I appreciate you!
• Thank you so much for your generosity  in helping us with Christmas for our family this year. You all have truly been a life line for us. I wish I knew how to repay your kindness. Wishing you many blessings this holiday season.
• Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you and your family! Just wanted to THANK YOU so much for everything!  The kids were very excited with everything they received! They loved the pajamas, the new bedding, the gift cards, and their bags of goodies.  We all enjoyed the homemade cookies as well!  Can’t thank you & your team enough for all you do.  Wishing you all a wonderful new year!

Our first thanks goes to St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Devon. It was WONDERFUL being back at the church after our covid pivot, and we remember why this is such a perfect location for this event.  THANK YOU to all those at St. John’s that allow this to happen.  We couldn’t do it without you!

Plus, a very special thanks once again to the committee that made this all possible – starting at the top with Jeanne Swope and Doreen McGillis, our chairs extraordinaire!  They are the most organized, thoughtful, detail-oriented folks we could ever have leading the way for this event.  But following at their heals were some amazing volunteers – each doing her job with caring and skill:  Jean Allen, Suzi Alrutz, Tarin Cataldo, Sandi Gorman, Meghan Jones, Bonnie Motel, Story Picard, Kim Pittman, Dawn Poeta, Mary Frances Szpila, Ashley Tucker, Cammy Wagner, and Tina Whitlow.  Plus we had a number of wonderful folks helping at the church, as well as all those making the deliveries.

THANK YOU especially to all those who sponsored a family, bought some gift cards, bought some food or cleaning supplies, or just made a donation so our volunteers could do the shopping. One hundred and seventeen local families (322 individuals) were offered cheer with this event.  That’s a lot of smiles!  YOU made it happen! 

Besides the requested gifts, we had dozens and dozens of cookies made by a number of scout troops and teams. Every family got a big container of cookies.  We had a number of homemade wreaths made by a garden club – so many of our families got a new holiday wreath. Many of the kids got new PJs through the Plaid Pajama Project.  The gift cards for each family were safely bundled in big envelopes decorated with holiday themes by students in our elementary schools. These are just a few of the special “extras” that make the program so wonderful. Special recognition to the various groups and businesses who participated in this drive:

• Paoli Village Shoppes – they made a financial donation to T&E Care to help with the purchase of gifts and gift cards
• All the TESD schools – they ran numerous drives within the schools, collecting games, cleaning supplies, kitchen items, books, gift cards, food bags, blankets, etc. etc. etc.
• The TESD Administration Office – some donated gift cards and some made financial donations to T&E Care to help with the purchase of gifts and gift cards
• Stillwater Capital Advisors – they made a financial donation to T&E Care to help with the purchase of gifts and gift cards
• The CHS T&E Kids Care Club – they collected cleaning supplies
• The CHS Cross Country Team – they collected cleaning supplies
• An Anonymous fund of the Philadelphia Foundation – they made a financial donation to T&E Care to help with the purchase of gifts and gift cards
• The CHS Sailing Team – they collected cleaning supplies
• The CHS Field Hockey Team – they collected gift cards
• The CHS Girls Lacrosse Team – they collected cleaning supplies and gift cards
• The CHS Football Team – they collected cleaning supplies
• The CHS Girls Basketball Team – they baked 10 dozen cookies and collected gift cards
• The CHS Girls Soccer Team – they donated gift cards and cleaning supplies
• HomeCooked – they made a financial donation to T&E Care to help with the purchase of gifts and gift cards
• WSFS Bank – they made a financial donation to T&E Care to help with the purchase of gifts and gift cards
• FC Europa – they collected food and gift cards
• CHS Project Wellness Club – they donated dental kits for all the students being supported
• CrossFit Main Line – made a financial donation to T&E Care to help with the purchase of gifts and gift cards PLUS sponsored a number of families
• Plaid Pajamas Project – they collected and wrapped pjs for many of the kids being supported.
• Four Counties Garden Club – made homemade wreaths for 40 of the families
• Glenhardie Book Club – they collected gift cards
• TE Mom’s Group – they collected gift cards and purchased a gift for a family
• Keller Williams Real Estate – they sponsored a family
• Lockheed Martin Corporation – they collected food and cleaning supplies
• Acme (Paoli) – they donated Acme gift cards
• Unilog Corp/Bravo Business Media – they sponsored families
• Trinity Preschool of Berwyn – they collected fun gift cards and Handels Ice Cream coins
• Ashley White’s 3rd grade class at VFES along with some other students at VFES – they decorated gift card envelopes
• Girl Scouts – SU637 – they made dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies
• Covered Bridge Garden Club – they donated gift cards and some cash
• Einstein Bagels – they donated bagels for the volunteers
• Greater Philadelphia Center for Spiritual Living – they donated gift cards.
• St. Norberts congregation – they donated many gift cards as part of their giving tree.
• Wegmans – they donated gift cards
• Whole Foods – they made a financial donation to T&E Care to help with the purchase of gifts and gift cards
• Forge Wealth Management – they sponsored several family gifts
• Penn Medicine Radiology Valley Forge – they sponsored families

The 2022 Holiday Drive – so fun to be back in person!

The 2021 T&E Care Holiday Drive – staggering results!

The 2021 Holiday Drive is now over. All the wish list requests were claimed.  All the gifts and gift cards have been purchased and delivered to the ambassadors, and then our drivers (Santa’s helpers!) have been out making the rounds to drop them all off.  Over 150 families – close to 500 individuals – were offered much appreciated support!  Once again we can only say – WOW.  The community response was truly astounding.  Between general donations, and specific wish list requests being claimed, no T&E Care reserve funds were needed to support the drive.  Besides all the main gifts, AND holiday wreaths, packages of pajamas, special gift bags with blankets and other basics, and over 125 bags of cleaning supplies … additionally almost $80,000 in gift cards were distributed so families could buy food for the holidays, and some extra special gifts for their kids.  The community made it happen!  This will truly make it a wonderful holiday for the families of T/E!

MANY thanks to the committee that pulled this off again, led by Doreen McGillis and Jeanne Swope.  Their leadership and organization is second to none!  Plus so many others were involved – all our ambassadors, runners, and drivers; those who set up all those ambassadors, runners, and drivers; those who recorded gift cards; those who worked with the families to gather the wish lists, and those who recorded the wish lists as they came in; those who set up our SignUp Genius; those who arranged for our group and school donations; all our school reps; those who pulled together all the forms that were handed to the ambassadors; and those who sent out thank you notes.  And of course – all those who donated!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Not only do we get thank you notes from the families we support, but we often also hear from volunteers involved in this program.  Here is a note from one of the coaches who worked with a team to facilitate one of the group donations.  These are powerful words!   “I can’t tell you how happy I am to have our team help in events like this.  It sends the fundamental message that in this world you help when you can.  Giving back is as important of a life lesson as anything I teach on the field.  When you are fortunate enough to have, you give.  And if ever a situation got reversed, you would hope there are others who would do the same.  That is what a community is.  You support and care for others. We appreciate you having us be a part of this community give back!”

And for the families – we do get a lot of notes of thanks from them.  Here are a few to start:

• ???? hug hug  Happy Holidays to you too. I opened one of the gifts and loved them all. Just what I needed too. Thank you again it was a pleasure talking with you – like a breath of fresh air.

• Thank you for the generous gifts from T&E Care. We are humbled and thankful to be able to celebrate the holidays and also get the kids some clothes!

• I just opened the envelope. And started to cry a little. Those gift cards are going to help so much. Thank you.

• Thank you so very much for your support during this difficult time. Your financial support and gifts for the holidays were much appreciated.  Your kindness  and generosity were a great comfort and help to us and we are beyond grateful.  God bless you all.

Many more notes of thanks have been posted on our Words of Care page. Check them out!

Any questions, feel free to contact us. Thanks again!

Thanks to the Holiday Drive 2021 Committee!

While there are many more involved in planning the event – including all the ambassadors, the drivers, the runners, and those writing the thank you notes, we want to especially recognize the folks who organized the event this year:

Chairs:  Doreen McGillis and Jeanne Swope
Jean Allen
Cammy Wagner
Story Picard
Mary Frances Szpila
Bonnie Motel
Sandi Gorman
Meghan Jones
Tina Whitlow
Carol Reagan
Katrina Hottenstein
Kim Pittman
Tarin Cataldo

If you’d like to get involved with this great group next year, let us know at Holidays@tecare.org.

​Holiday Drive 2020 – unreal!

Our Holiday Drive 2020 looked different this year due to Covid, but even with the changes – this community support was incredible!  We will definitely be able to support over 160 of our local neighbors with holiday cheer!  The requests went out, and you answered! Thank you – thank you – thank you!  The elves filled their sleighs and everything has been delivered! Check below for some notes of thanks!

“Thank you for the gifts, we really appreciate it. May you all have a wonderful holidays with your love ones.” “Thank you again for the drop off! We truly appreciate it!!!!”
“Thanks so much.  This is all just awesome!  What a difference for our holidays!”
“Thank you very much for everything!! It definitely took some stress off of my shoulders.  I truly appreciate everything T&E Care has done.”
More notes can be found on the “Words of Care” page.

Thanks so much for your phenomenal support!

Questions should be sent to holidays@tecare.org.

Special thank you notes

We always include on our Words of Care page thanks notes we receive after the drive from the families we supported.  But this year we wanted to also include notes from those who helped with the drive.  The impact is far reaching for sure:

• ‘Stoga Field Hockey player: Such great news about how many families the drive was able to help!  Glad ‘Stoga hockey could be a part of it all!!
• ‘Stoga Field Hockey player: Happy to help such a great organization especially because it helps our local community – hopefully we can keep the tradition going!
• ‘Stoga Girls Lacrosse player: We were so happy to help and please let us know if T&E Care has other needs, we love to give back to our community:). Thank you!
• One of our T&E Care School Reps: I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful organization and community. My youngest is in K so I don’t plan on giving up being my school rep for a while 😉 Happy 2021!
• One of our T&E Care School Reps: We were so happy to help and we are so glad to hear the wonderful impact it had on those who needed support this holiday season. My youngest hasn’t even started school yet, so I’ll also be on board for a while!
• School Principal: I am thrilled to hear that the efforts of our school families have been so well received by those in the community.  It is a pleasure to be a part of such a supportive team.
• One of our T&E Care School Reps: I always get more out of helping with T&E Care than I can imagine. I am so glad everyone adapted to this year’s circumstances and so many were able to be helped. Looking forward to what this new year has in store!
• School Principal: We were happy to be a part of this drive again this year. Thank you for your continued support of our students, their families and the community.
• One of our T&E Care School Reps: It was our honor and pleasure to have supported these important efforts during a very difficult and trying year. Congrats to you and your team who worked so very hard to make all of this happen; our district is so lucky to have volunteers such as you to organize these events.
• School Principal:  Thank you all so much for all the care you put into our school community and the T/E community! Today, I have been working with our counselor and others at T&E Care to help a new family, and it is simply amazing that there are tremendous resources just a phone call away.  Your generosity and kindness is changing lives at this very moment. This is why I love my job, this school, and this community so much.  Excellent work!
• One of our T&E Care School Reps: Giving a little of ourselves to those in need only seems normal in our family.  I was part of those who delivered to some of the families struggling in our community, and seeing their reaction felt like a little bit of the heavy weight they currently have on their shoulders was lifted.  It was simply beautiful! Thanks to ALL of You who are working so, so hard to make this happen!

Holiday Drive 2019

The 2019 Holiday Drive is now over! THANKS TO ALL VOLUNTEERED AND TO ALL WHO DONATED!  What a huge undertaking – but what a great outcome.  This note of thanks says it all:

I can not begin to express how thankful I am. Today we received our gifts. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who contributed. I am in tears because I having a conversation with my mother about 15 minutes before the person making the delivery got here. We were discussing how to get groceries for the week because we just don’t have the money since our food stamps have been shut off. I opened the envelope to find Wegmans gift cards. As I type this I’m crying because I can now go to the grocery store with no worries. Thank you all so much! You are all a blessing! I can’t thank you enough! Happy holidays,

OUR HOLIDAY DRIVE 2018 IS NOW OVER!

We are once again in awe of this community and the support it offers its neighbors.  The results of this drive are staggering.  So many wonderful gifts.  So many donations of food and cleaning supplies and gift cards.  So many extras like wreaths, homemade cookies, special books.  And so many donors and volunteers helping to pull it all together.  What a wonderful holiday this will be for our neighbors!  Thank you to all!  Please look below at the list of the AMAZING PARTNERS who lent a hand, the volunteers who helped organize the event, and the pictures that show the great results.  Happy holidays to all!

WHAT AMAZING PARTNERS!!!

Many many thanks to all those groups, businesses, and organizations that have lent a hand to make this year’s Holiday Drive so successful. Number one on that list is St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Devon, our host for the event.  This is totally a dream come true to hold the event at such a welcoming location.  We can’t thank them enough for this support.  Also included in that list are:

Shady Grove Fertility – sponsoring families
Homecooked (Paoli) – sponsoring families
Conestoga Varsity Field Hockey Team – toiletries
Conestoga Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Team – toiletries
FC Europa 2007 Boys Elite Soccer team – sponsoring family
FC Europa 2006 Boys Premier Soccer team – sponsoring family
FC Europa 2009 Girls Premier Soccer team – sponsoring family
FC Europa 2007 Premier Girls – sponsoring a family
FC Europa Boys Elite Soccer Team – sponsoring family
Delaware Valley Children’s Charity – 150 plastic bags
Oktoberfest Party (Hotinski) – gift cards
Deck 5 Band event – gift cards
St. Norbert Church Giving Tree – gift cards
Paoli Shoppes – gift cards and cleaning supplies
Wegmans (Frazer) – gift cards for fresh produce for families
Girl Scout troops 42050 and 41552 – holiday cards for families
Arnott family – decorating large envelopes for families
Papa Johns – pizzas for volunteers
Jimmy Johns – sandwiches for volunteers
Einstein Bagels (Paoli) – bagels for volunteers
Four Counties Garden Club – Wreaths for families

THANKS!!!

Thanks for all those who were able to help out with this year’s holiday drive!  Above we listed business, organization and group donors who went above and beyond to make this event special.  Additionally, special thanks to all those committee members who are working hard to make sure the event runs as smoothly as possible.  If you’d like to get involved in future holiday drive events, contact us at holidays@tecare.org.

• Chair:  Gretchen Guttman
• Assistant Chair: Doreen McGillis, Jeanne Swope
• Volunteers:  Story Picard & Karen Ridder
• Gift Cards:  Pat Clark & Jean Purinton
• Drop-offs/confirming donations:  Gretchen Guttman & Julia Fisher
• Help gathering family needs:  Sandi Gorman, Mary Frances Szpila, Bonnie Motel
• Recording Family Wish-lists:  Story Picard, Cammy Wagner
• Group Donations:  Jenny Rosback & Jean Allen
• Church Liaison:  Cammy Wagner and Nancy Higgins
• Volunteer food donations/church set up: Joni King
• Thanks notes: Tarin Cataldo, Laurie Doan, & Ellen Weaver

Holiday Drive 2017 – the amazing results

The 2017 T&E Care Holiday Drive is now history.  The community rallied and did a great job of offering holiday cheer to many of the local families with whom we have interacted throughout the year – and we know life is still complicated for them.  With over 100 families to support – the results yet again were staggering.  VERY special thanks to St. John’s Presbyterian Church for being our incredible host yet again this year.  It is such a PERFECT location for this event.  Special thanks as well to the many committee folks who organized various aspects of the drive (see the list below) – but special thanks to Gretchen Guttman for overseeing the entire event, Julia Fisher for being Gretchen’s right hand, and to Story Picard for setting up all the new Sign-up Genius pages for us.  We tried so many new aspects in this year’s drive – and it still went smoothly – in large part to these amazing folks.  Very special thanks to all those who donated gifts, gift cards, and general donation – we clearly couldn’t do this without you!  And to all those who came to help with loading/unloading, wrapping, and sorting, and delivering – it is a true team effort.  And to all those groups who pulled off drives for the event …. a MAJOR WOW.  You guys rock!  Thank you notes will be posted as they come in – but rest assured – your efforts are MOST appreciated!!!

THANKS!!!

Thanks for all those who are able to help out with this year’s holiday drive!  Below are business, organization and group donations that we want to thank – this list will continue to grow as the event progresses.  Additionally, special thanks to all those committee members who are working hard to make sure the event runs as smoothly as possible.

• Chair:  Gretchen Guttman
• Volunteers:  Story Picard & Karen Ridder
• Gift Cards:  Pat Clark & Jean Purinton
• Drop-offs/confirming donations:  Gretchen Guttman & Julia Fisher
• Help gathering family needs:  Sandi Gorman, Mary Frances Szpila, Bonnie Motel
• Recording Family Wish-lists:  Story Picard, Cammy Wagner
• Group Donations:  Allyson Hotz & Jean Allen
• Church Liaison:  Cammy Wagner
• Volunteer food donations/church set up: Joni King

A huge shout-out to the many businesses, organizations, and groups who are lending a hand with our Holiday Drive this year.

• All the TESD schools and PTO’s – assorted drives
• AmerisourceBergen Financial Department– Gift Card drive
• BES Teachers – family sponsors
• Blue Sky and Deck 5 Bands – gift cards
• Crecent Real Estate – family sponsors
• 30 Main (Berwyn) – general donation
• Mojo Fitness – general donation
• Paoli Village Shoppes – Hats, gloves and cleaning supplies
• ST. Norbert Church Giving Tree – gift cards
• Chesterbrook Quarters – food drive
• Plaid Pajamas Project – pjs for over 100 kids
• Shady Grove Fertility – family sponsors
• T/E Moms Group – family sponsors
• Homecooked – family sponsors
• Conestoga Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Team – family sponsor & college baskets
• T&E Sophomores Care – family sponsor
• Cutomedialabs – College baskets
• FC Europa ’07 Girls Elite – family sponsors
• FC Europa 2004 girls – family sponsor
• FC Europa ’07 Elite boys – family sponsor
• FC Europa ’05 Boys Premier – family sponsor
• FC Europa ’06 Girls Elite – family sponsor
• FC Europa ’08 Boys Elite – family sponsor
• FC Europa ’06 Premier Boys –  family sponsor
• FC Europa ’09 Premier Girls – family sponsor
• Shady Grove – family sponsors
• Tarleton School – Toiletries baskets
• Brownie Troop 41552 and Girl Scout troop 41050 – helping with holiday cards
• Girl Scout Troop 456 – Bags of “Snowman Soup” – Hot Chocolate and fixings.
• Girl Scout Troops 456, 0049, 4205, 41471, 4139, 4416, 41244, 4080, 4173, 41050, 4316, 4338, 4511, 41552 & 434 – Cookies for all families
• Girl Scout Troop 41898 – Baskets
• Paoli Methodist Church – family sponsor
• PWC Endo Tisk Assurance – Gift Cards & family baskets
• Glenhardie Book Club – Gift cards
• McGivney Global Advisors – family sponsor
• Four Counties Garden Club – Wreaths for families
• Wegmans – gift card to use to purchase fresh food for food baskets
• ACME – gift card
• Jimmy Johns – lunch for volunteers
• Papa Johns – lunch for volunteers
• Bagel Factory – bagels for volunteers

FAVORITE MEMORIES from the 2017 Holiday Drive!

Holiday Drive 2015

St. John’s Presbyterian Church (host site) 

T&E Care Holiday Drive 2014

Thank you to All for supporting this year’s holiday drive.  Almost 100 families received support this year – all your neighbors!  Gifts, food baskets, and gift cards were delivered on or around December 12, and the responses have been overwhelming.  Go to the Words Of Care page to read comments sent by some.  You will know when reading these that your help really DOES make a difference!  Happy holidays to all!

T&E Care Holiday Program 2013

Thanks A MILLION thanks to all those who helped out with this year’s successful holiday drive – and we are so very thankful for their assistance! The thank you notes are already coming from many of the 80+ families who were given this assistance, and we’ll post them to our website below.  We clearly can’t list every individual who played a part in this successful endeavor, but if you were involved – please know that every single bit of support is most appreciated!   Special recognition must be made to some key folks and groups:

Lisa Christy – our chair extraordinaire!  Lisa and her family were willing to let our drive overtake their home and their lives yet again this year.  It’s such a busy time of year but Lisa is fantastic at giving of herself to make this all happen!  Right in line with Lisa were Pat Clark and Melody Ticknor who helped with many of the drive details.  Allyson Hotz was fantastic as our “group” coordinator.   All those who allowed packages to be delivered to their homes deserve a shout out for sure:  the Christy’s (again!), the Actons, the Cataldo’s, the Kanes, the Sticklins, and the O’Reilly’s.   Special thanks also to Anne Ferola, Barbara McConnell, Julia Fisher, Nancy Higgins, Carol Tompkins, Sandi Gorman and Cynthia Borger,  for joining Pat, Melody, Allyson, and Lisa to prepare the donations for the big sorting day on the 12th.   And all the drivers who delivered packages – with over 80 families we needed a lot of elves to get the packages around.  In that group we thank Helene Liebowitz, Barb Bogle, Jeanette Alwine, Jennifer Arnott, Eileen Ryle, Rita Gosnear, Anne Ferola, Bernie Logan, Karen Ridder, Marisa Mignogna, Jean Kane, Janis Fratamico, Lisa McNichol, Carol Tompkins, Nancy Higgins, Barbara McConnell, Sandi Gorman, Cathy Lucas, Debbie Weger, and of course Melody, Pat, Allyson, and Lisa!  We can’t forget to thank Debbie Weger for tabulating the donation values as the drive continues.  And thanks in advance to Cammy Wagner who will be doing the thank you notes in early January.  A final last but not least thanks to Brody Shea – a CHS grad and current college student who donated hours of time to help haul items up and down stairs as packages came in and deliveries needed to be loaded into cars.  How wonderful to have strong muscles in this difficult part of the process!

And again – that list above doesn’t begin to include ALL of those who made donations or sponsored a family!  Below are the groups that got involved in the event!  These group efforts really help us get over the top in our attempts to make the drive special!  Many thanks to:

• Four Counties Garden Club – they made centerpieces or wreaths for many local families
• Shire – Chesterbrook (Legal Department) – they adopted a few families
• TEMS Student Council – they ran a toiletry drive for the event
• VFMS 6th Grade Girl Scout Cadette Troop 456 – they made dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies for our families
• Chesterbrook Quarters – they’ll be did a food/toiletry collection
• T&E Kids Care – they collected toys for the Winter Wonder program we partner with
• Beaumont ES – they did a gift card and PJ drive
• Hillside ES – they did a cleaning supply collection
• New Eagle ES – they did a book collection
• Valley Forge ES – they did a food drive for the event
• Devon ES PTO – they did a bulk item drive for us
• TEMS – they collected paper products for the event
• VFMS – they collected mittens/hats/blankets and socks for the event
• Johnson Matthey – they collected toys for the Winter Wonder Program
• MoJo Fitness – they collected toiletries and gift cards for the event
• Nackord Karate – they collected toiletries and gift cards for the event
• CHS Field Hockey team – they baked cookies for the families
• CHS Girls Lacrosse team – they made centerpieces for the families
• TESD Administrative Office – they sponsored a family
• Navigate Club at CHS – they got toys for the Winter Wonder program
• Weichert, Realtors-Paoli – they got toys for the Winter Wonder program
• Chic & Simple (Berwyn) – they donated lots of food for our program
• VFES Daisy Troop #41078, St. Matthews UMC Sunday School Classes, and Grace Arnott and Sarah Carrol – they helped decorate the envelopes for the cards given to each family.
• Crossfit in Christ – a youth group led by Mike and Erin Shine – the kids took care of many many gifts from the website list!
• AmeriClic Language Services – sponsored some families for the drive.
• Daisy Girl Scout Troop 4171 from Beaumont ES – they filled Christmas stockings for some of the kids.

 THANKS THANKS THANKS

Holiday Drive 2012

Happy holidays to all from T&E Care!  There is no way to adequately express our thanks to all those who helped make this event a success.  So many individuals, so many groups.  But we would be remiss not to highlight the 3 chairs of this special drive – Lisa Christy, Melody Ticknor, and Pat Clark.  This is their 3rd year together and they are amazing in the way they put it all together.  Many thanks to each individual who helped drive, transport from one location to another, donate items or gift cards, agreed to be a drop off location, wrap and/or sort, bake cookies, make wreaths, etc. etc. etc.  What a community effort – yet again!

We have listed below those groups who worked together on behalf of this drive.  Thanks to those who helped make the holidays extra special for local families:

• VFMS families – gift cards
• ST. John’s Presbyterian Church (high school youth group) – home made cookies
  
• CHS girls lacrosse team – made centerpieces for many families
• HES – collecting toiletry/cleaning items
• Shire (legal department) – sponsoring two families
  
• Four Counties Garden Club – making holiday wreaths for many families
• 5th Grade VFMS Junior Girl Scout Troop – making tons of cookies for the families
• T&E Kids Care Club at CHS – collecting toys
• The Quarters holiday party – collecting food
• Hayden Hoopla – neighborhood party – collecting gift cards
• DES – sponsoring a family
• BES – collecting hats, mittens, and other basic items for kids
• NEES – collecting books for kids
• VFES – collecting toys
• TESD central office – collecting gift cards and supporting a family
  
• Coldwell Banker Preferred – collecting basic supplies and food
  
• Johnson Matthey – collecting toys
• BES staff – sponsoring a family
• TEMS Student Council/Jen Tyrelll – collecting toiletry items
  

What a great team effort!

2011 Holiday Drive Results – Another success

The Holiday Drive for 2011 is officially finished.  EVERY request for support was met through your generous donations.  NO T&E Care general funds will be needed again this year to support this program.  That leaves our treasury in good shape with the winter PECO bills to come!    63 families are getting assistance from T&E Care and over 125 toys for the Winter Wonder program!  That’s well over 300 local individuals that have been helped through your generosity!  We really appreciate all of your support!  Every individual toy, every box of cereal, every winter coat, it all adds up to making a huge difference for some families that have little to hope for these days.  We appreciate the many families that supported our drive with donations of gifts, food, cleaning supplies, gift cards, or just by making a donation.  Thanks to those who were drop-off locations (the Lords, the Fishers, the Sticklins, the Gormans, the Christys, the Casciatos), and to all those who helped sort, wrap and deliver.  And a huge cheer to Melody Ticknor, Pat Clark, and especially Lisa Christy for the many hours spent running the event in a way that makes it look so easy!  GREAT JOB to all!

Hats off also to the groups that worked on behalf of the drive:
Long and Foster Realtors (ran a food drive)
Coldwell Banker Preferred (did a food/cleaning supply/toiletry drive)
CHS Girls Lacrosse Team (collected toys)
T&E Kids Care Club (collected toys)
4 Counties Garden Club (provided holiday centerpieces for some local families)
VFES 4th grade classes adopted a family
TESD central office staff adopted a family
DES, BES, and HES PTOs each adopted a family
NEES did a book collection for the families
CHS National Honors Society (collected toys)
Hayden Hoopla – neighborhood party – collected gift cards for T&E Care
The Murphy neighborhood party – collected gift cards for T&E Care
The Quarters holiday party – collected food for T&E Care
CHS Boy’s Lacrosse team (ran a fund raiser for the holiday drive)
The Garden Shoppe LTD, Wayne (donated Christmas trees for a few local families)
CHS Ice Hockey Team (collected toys)
Paoli Wildcat U12 boys team (did a food/cleaning supplies drive)
VFES Junior Girl Scout Troop 456 (baked over 800 cookies and made up 60 bags of snowman soup mix)
A number of Wisteria Lane families (made over 20 tins of cookies)
A number of families from Fernfield Circle (collected gift cards)

SPECIAL THANKS TO THIS YEAR’S CHAIR, LISA CHRISTY, AND HER VERY IMPORTANT SUPPORTING CAST MEMBERS PAT CLARK AND MELODY TICKNOR!  And of course we have all the drivers, the sorters and wrappers, the drop off location hosts, and all the individual families who made donations…..We couldn’t have done it without everyone!

Holiday Drive 2010 – WOW!

The 2010 Holiday Drive officially ended on December 6 – and we are excited to say that all family requests were sponsored.  We thank everyone who offered to support our program – every single donation was important!!!

A huge shout-out to a few special groups who went above and beyond to lend a hand to the drive:

• T&E Kids Care Club (at CHS) – Heather Ward, President – they collected over 50 items for teenagers to lend a hand to the Winter Wonders program at Paoli Presbyterian Church (supported by T&E Care).
• Members of the CHS Girls Lacrosse team – Brooke McGillis and Taylor King captains – they also collected items for teenagers for the Winter Wonders program.
• St. David’s Preschool classes – they also collected over 100 gifts for younger kids for the Winter Wonders program.
• Girl Scout Troop 456 from VFES baked over THIRTY DOZEN cookies and put together bags of “snowman soup” – these were spread out and given in the food boxes to many of the families we supported.  (pictures of these great kids below)
  
• The Bassetts and the Haydens each had neighborhood parties – and instead of hostess gifts they asked for assistance in supporting out holiday drive – gift cards, general donations, etc. etc. came from these two parties!
• Long and Foster Realty (Devon) and Coldwell Banker Preferred (Wayne) each ran food drives and collected boxes of extra food for our drive – this was especially helpful for the “new” families that got added onto our list late.
• The Quarters in Chesterbrook did a food drive for T&E Care at their annual holiday party.  More food for the extra baskets!
  
• Claire Newhall – a 2nd grader at NEES recently asked for donation to T&E Care’s holiday drive instead of birthday gifts for herself!
  
• Valley Forge ES PTO ran a food drive and a book drive for T&E Care (the food also went to REACT).  The 4th graders helped to wrap all the books.
  
• New Eagle ES PTO sponsored one of the families for the holiday drive.
• The Four Counties Garden Club made gorgeous table top decorations for many of the families in our program. What a special “extra” treat for everyone!