Dear Editor,

This year was quite different for Project Love, as it was for many others. Due to COVID-19, it was a very challenging year in various aspects for our nonprofit organization. We wanted to ensure that we were able to distribute applications to and collect them back from every North East family who was in need. 

We extended our deadline for receiving applications. Though it proved difficult to do, we worked with families up to and including on our Dec. 13 gifts distribution day by filling boxes of gifts for children and giving them to parents in a few hours. 

We greatly missed working with community members and having volunteers come to our Project Love site to help with packing boxes and distributing toys, but we did it! The support we received from the community was overwhelming and the amount of donations was tremendous! Many thanks for the overflowing gifts from our Giving Trees at Sander’s Markets and Serendipity Consignment Boutique. 

We are grateful to the Sander’s Markets employees who collected toys for us, and to the many businesses, organizations and individuals who offered monetary donations and hundreds of toys. Of course, our nonprofit would not be successful without its dedicated volunteer board members, who spent endless hours purchasing toys and gifts, and also packing and organizing the gift boxes.

With everyone’s hard work and strong support, Project Love assisted 147 families this year. We will bring smiles to the faces of 335 North East children on Christmas morning. Thank you to all for your compassion and generosity. May you have a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, bright New Year! 

Tamme Erb

Project Love, Inc. Chief Executive Director