Family with medical conditions stretches resources to get by

Raising four kids, with another on the way, can be enough to overwhelm any mother.

But it’s particularly hard for Lori, whose name has been changed to protect her family’s privacy, because she suffers from severe depression.

“I’m not able to hold a job, due to my depression and anxiety,” said Lori, who had to conduct her interview via text because her phone receiver and speaker broke when her son chewed on the phone when he was teething.

“So texting or email is the only way to reach me,” she wrote.

Her husband Jonathan works as a mechanic “fulltime and overtime “but it’s still not enough. He’s the rock of our family and goes above and beyond to provide for us,” Lori texted.

Her children are 17, 13, 3 and 2 and the 17-year-old “has ADHD, anxiety and asthma, my 3- and 2-yearolds have asthma. I myself have asthma,” Lori wrote.

Jonathan earns too much money to qualify for heating assistance “so my husband brings home wood for the wood-burning stove, that heats the house pretty well.”

Jonathan also “makes too much to qualify for food stamps, but we have two food banks we use. We are behind on bills,” Lori wrote.

Her depression is magnified by the fact that “I can’t give my children the Christmas they deserve.”

“We get hand-me-down toys and clothes from my husband’s co-workers, so I clean them up and wrap them” for Christmas, Lori said.

But this year, she will get something more, thanks to newspaper readers and contributors to Operation Holiday.

Now in its 29th year, Operation Holiday has provided a brighter holiday season to thousands of families with children throughout the region. Donations from readers last year allowed the program to provide food and gifts for 144 families with 442 children in need.

This year, 15 agencies in Montgomery County and northern Chester County have referred 107 families with 325 children. Stories of families interviewed by our reporters will appear in the newspaper and online between now and December 24.

There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a non-profit foundation account managed by staff of MediaNews Group.

Food, which includes the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the pantry, is ordered, bought, packed and distributed by employees and their family members as well as local high school and community volunteers..

Gift cards for every child in the program 16 years of age or younger are purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with the referring agencies.

“Thank you so much,” Lori texted when the program was explained to her. “It will not go to waste. It’s greatly appreciated.”

Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency in order to protect the integrity of the program.

Operation Holiday is funded solely by readers’ contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.

Contributions can be mailed to The Reporter, 307 Derstine Ave., Lansdale PA 19446 or to The Pottstown Mercury, Attn: Operation Holiday, PO Box 1181, Pottstown, PA 19464. Make checks payable to “Operation Holiday.”

Online donations are being accepted in a secure portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork.org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday.

Names and donations will be published in the newspaper as they are received. Please note if you want your donation to be listed as “Anonymous” for publication or if you would like it listed as “In memory of ...” or “In honor of ...” Donations that do not include a notation will be published with the name of the donor as written on the check.