The News Neediest Fund
News Neediest: Diocesan group good at stretching a buck
Eileen C. Nowak shops year round for Christmas toys and gifts. And she’s always looking for bargains. So when she spied basketballs that were on sale for more than 50 percent off the original price, she left the store with enough to fill her sport utility vehicle, except for a spot for her and her son to sit.
That may seem like a lot of basketballs, but they don’t even make up one quarter of her shopping list. After all, Nowak has to buy for thousands of children.
“We do toy bags for 4,000 to 5,000 kids,” said Nowak, director of parish outreach and advocacy for Catholic Charities, which is part of the Western New York Holiday Partnership— a collaborative effort involving The News Neediest Fund and 15 local agencies.
Last year, the partnership distributed toys and food to more than 12,000 local residents in need during the holiday season.
This year, they hope to reach just as many, if not more, but they need help, or rather donations.
The Buffalo Diocese Ladies of Charity — a volunteer arm of Catholic Charities — provides toys and gifts to kids all across Western New York during the holidays.
The ladies also volunteer the rest of the year. Every day, they prepare and distribute about seven or eight bags of new and gently used household goods and small appliances to fire victims. And the group provides layette bags for newborns to about 700 needy families per year. The bags include handmade blankets and quilts, diapers, beddings, sheets and clothing.
But the holiday season is when they encounter the most people in need.
And this year, gifts for older kids and monetary gifts are encouraged.
“We can stretch that dollar probably a lot further than you can,” Nowak said. “I have different resources to quantities. I have relationships with retailers.”
Also greatly needed are items for teenagers, like gift certificates, clothes, books, CDs and DVDs.
Unlike many of the organizations in the partnership, Ladies of Charity/ Catholic Charities provide gifts for kids up to age 19.
“Nobody donates teen stuff, and that’s what we need,” said Cecelia Borcz, board president of Ladies of Charity.
Unwrapped toys and gifts will be accepted at several locations around Erie and Niagara counties, including the lobby of the The News at Washington and Scott streets, from 7 a. m. to 8 p. m. Monday through Friday and 7 a. m. to 3 p. m. Saturday and Sunday; all Wegmans locations; Hunt Real Estate, 4363 Main St., Amherst, from 8:30 a. m. to 8 p. m. Monday to Friday, and 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. Saturday and Sunday; and the Fairgrounds annual Holiday Lights Festival, from 5:30 to 9:30 p. m. Thursdays to Sundays through Dec. 15.
In Niagara County, toys and gifts can be dropped off at the Tops Markets at 9060 Center St., Lewiston; The Summit customer service desk, 6929 Williams Road, Wheatfield; Tops International, 7200 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls; and The News Niagara Bureau, 8353 Niagara Falls Blvd., at Military Road, Niagara Falls.
Toys and gifts must be donated by Dec. 15 to ensure Christmas delivery.
Checks can be sent to News Neediest, c/o The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 2667, Buffalo, NY 14240-2667.
For more details, or to make a donation online, check out w w w . buffalonews.com/news neediest.
