Catholic Charities seeking donations and recipients for 'Santa's Workshop' program

Annual program brings hope to WNY children on Christmas morning

To help ensure all children across Western New York have something special to unwrap on Christmas morning, Catholic Charities of Buffalo is seeking donations and recipients for its annual “Santa’s Workshop.” As part of the WNY Holiday Toy Partnership, Catholic Charities’ Christmas program serves infants to teenagers.

“Family budgets are stretched, and Christmas can be an overwhelming and stressful time for many,” said Julie Lulek, senior director, Catholic Charities. “Through the community’s generous donations to ‘Santa’s Workshop,’ we are helping to brighten the holidays and provide a gift, books, and stocking stuffers to hundreds of local families. While anything you may be able to contribute is greatly appreciated, this year we have an urgent need for items aimed at tweens and teens.”

Donations of toys, books, board games, puzzles and stocking stuffers for children and teenagers ages 10 and older are now being collected at two locations:

•St. Benedict Church, 1317 Eggert Road, Amherst, inside the church vestibule. Catholic Charities’ operations hub, where the Christmas program is housed, is located on the campus of St. Benedict Parish. Items can be dropped off before or after Mass times (Saturdays at 5 p.m.; and Sundays at 8 and 10 a.m.), or during normal business hours.

•Catholic Charities downtown district office, 525 Washington St., Buffalo, during normal business hours of 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. weekdays.

All items must be new and unwrapped.

“Santa’s Workshop” will accept referrals Monday, Dec. 2, through Wednesday, Dec. 11. Referrals are first-come, first-served, and must go through a Catholic Charities caseworker. Referrals for Erie County residents only will be fielded through Catholic Charities’ downtown district office. Residents in other counties are asked to call 211 and ask for a referral to the WNY Holiday Toy Partnership.

Additional information about all Catholic Charities’ services, which include basic emergency assistance, in-school social work, and individual, children and family counseling services, and education and workforce training can be found at ccwny.org/services.