Holiday Hope Chest and the Spirit of Holidays

The holiday season is a time for joy, giving, and nostalgia. It's a time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the new one.

The holiday hope chest is a tradition that has been passed down through generations, and it's a great way to capture the spirit of the holidays. A hope chest is a wooden chest where families would store their finest linens, clothing, and other precious items.

By filling a hope chest with holiday-themed items, you can create a treasured family heirloom that will be enjoyed for years to come. It's a thoughtful way to share your love and traditions with future generations.

The idea of a hope chest is to store items that bring joy and comfort, making it a perfect way to preserve holiday memories and traditions.

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Holiday traditions are a big part of what makes a holiday hope chest special. They're a way to connect with family and friends, and create lasting memories.

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One of the most popular holiday traditions is decorating the home with festive decorations. In fact, many people start decorating their homes as early as mid-November, with the most popular decorations being Christmas trees, lights, and wreaths.

Decorating the home is a fun and creative way to get into the holiday spirit. It's also a great way to involve the whole family in the holiday preparations.

Many families also have a special holiday tradition of baking holiday treats, such as cookies and fudge. These treats are often made with love and care, and are a delicious way to celebrate the holiday season.

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As the holiday season approaches, many of us look for ways to give back to our communities. One great way to do this is through the Holiday Hope Chest program. This program, run through the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley, collects wrapped shoeboxes filled with gifts for children served by local non-profits and schools.

In 2019, they collected over 9,000 wrapped shoeboxes donated by area businesses, clubs, and churches. Each wrapped box is filled with gifts that go to children served by one of over 40 local non-profits and schools.

If you're interested in participating, you can sign up to volunteer by Friday, November 20. You can donate shoeboxes, gift wrap, or even purchase items to fill the boxes. The value of gifts should be approximately $25 per box.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps to follow:

If you're looking for a way to clean out your closets, this is a great opportunity to donate old shoeboxes. MSR has pledged to give 45 filled and wrapped boxes, and if we meet this goal quickly, we can always donate more!

Jakelle's Christmas Box is a heartwarming holiday tradition that began in 2013 as a way to honor the memory of JaKelle, a child who loved Christmas.

JaKelle's family would traditionally open gifts on Christmas morning, but she would often have dozens of presents left to open.

In her honor, JaKelle's family started a "Gift-Away" for children in foster care, which they called JaKelle's Christmas Box.

They wanted to continue showering JaKelle with lots of gifts, so they came up with the idea of filling a special Christmas Box with gifts from their extended family, friends, and community.

The gifts would then be donated to an organization that serves the needs of children at Christmas in JaKelle's name.

Helen's Hope Chest was chosen as the perfect organization to partner with, and it's been a way for JaKelle's family to keep her memory alive while giving back to their community.

Community Support is at the heart of the Holiday Hope Chest, with over 250 volunteers from all walks of life coming together to make a difference. These volunteers include high school students, teachers, local sports clubs, neighborhoods, businesses, families, and retired individuals.

The Chester County Intermediate Unit's collaboration with Holiday Hope Chest is invaluable, providing not only building usage but also service volunteer opportunities for students and the community. They showcase their skills, such as safely managing a large event, to the community.

Families who struggle financially feel grateful for the community's generosity, with some even lining up for over four hours before the event starts. Participants talk about the hardships faced to afford basic things like groceries, making it difficult to buy Christmas presents for their children.

The Community Service Office at Lehigh University coordinates the Holiday Hope Chests Program with the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley to provide gifts to local school children. This program allows the Lehigh community to create relationships with local schoolchildren and families.

Gifts for the Holiday Hope Chests range from $20 to $30 in value, and typical gifts include toys, school supplies, stickers, and video games. Participants get a description of what kind of gifts their matched child is interested in, making it easier to choose which gifts to get.