Montgomery News

City of Rockville issued the following announcement on Oct. 15.

The 2018 Rockville Holiday Drive is officially underway!

For more than four-and-a-half decades, Rockville has sponsored outreach that brings the community together each year to provide food baskets, gift certificates and toys to needy Rockville families throughout the Thanksgiving and December holidays.

Here are some ways you can make a difference in 2018:

• Send a tax-deductible contribution (checks can be made payable to Rockville Holiday Drive Fund, and sent to 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.) Donations help Rockville buy healthy food options for individuals and families.
• Organize a canned food drive (with a focus on healthier food like low-sodium beans and soups, no-sugar-added canned fruits and whole-wheat pasta).
• Pack or deliver Thanksgiving food baskets.
• Organize a toy or book drive to collect new unwrapped toys or books (new books for children of all ages, including teenagers, are needed).
• Donate $20 gift certificates for Giant or Target.

The Holiday Drive relies entirely on monetary contributions, donated food and new toys from local individuals, schools, businesses and organizations. This year, the city is hoping to increase the number of monetary donations it receives to be able to buy healthy food options for needy families and individuals.

You can donate food at City Hall and city recreation facilities until Thursday, Nov. 15 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Make a donation online by visiting http://bit.ly/HolidayDrive2018.

Food, toys and gift cards distributed by the Holiday Drive are donated or purchased using donated funds. All donations of money and goods are tax deductible.

The 2017 Rockville Holiday Drive made the holidays special for hundreds of families in Rockville with generous contributions from 187 individuals, businesses, schools, churches and community organizations.

These contributions, and the hard work of many volunteers, enabled the city to:

In November:

• Provide Thanksgiving meals to 483 families, including more than 1,600 individuals.
• Host a Thanksgiving meal for 105 seniors.

In December, serve:

• 539 families.
• 857 children.
• 202 senior or adult-only households.

Distribute:

• 892 toys to 446 children in need.
• 232 board games and stuffed animals.
• 857 books.
• 446 stocking stuffers.
• 279 gift cards to Rockville teens.

In addition, gifts tailored to the needs of 63 families, including 111 adults and 132 children, were distributed through the family sponsorship program.

Find information on the 2018 Holiday Drive at www.rockvillemd.gov/holidaydrive.

Original source can be found here.