Neighbors Foundation begins gathering items for gift baskets

Grand Island Dispatch, November 19, 2004

During the holiday season, the Neighbors Foundation of Grand Island makes a special effort to help less fortunate families in the community with large baskets of food and gifts for any children involved. This tradition has been carried on for 28 years, as the foundation fulfills its mission of helping those in temporary need on Grand Island. Many Island organizations join this effort. The Grand Island schools will have a canned food drive during December. Sorting of that food will be done by the High School DECA Club.

This year, the Knights of Columbus is donating the use of its hall for sorting and distribution of the large quantity of food donated to this project. The K of C also donated all proceeds of its spaghetti dinner to the Neighbors Foundation.

In past years, more than 50 families have been helped. The foundation will be especially anxious to add names of military service families on Grand Island to their list this year.

The foundation invites Island residents to “Share Your Happiness” by making a tax-deductible donation to the Neighbors Foundation. Mail it to PO Box 155, Grand Island, N.Y. 14072. With an all-volunteer organization, the foundation can assure Island residents that a maximum amount of their donation goes to help those in emergency need on Grand Island.

The names of all donors will be displayed in the holiday editions of the Grand Island Pennysaver, the Island Dispatch and other local papers. Donors who wish to remain anonymous can request that.

Anyone wishing to donate new, unused toys or similar gifts for young children or new, unused outerware for youth to teens, may bring them to three sites: the Town Recreation Department office at the Nike Base on Whitehaven Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the Grand Island Post Office; or Town Hall, until Dec. 13.

For further information, contact Henry Kammerer, president of the Neighbors Foundation, at 716-773-1245.