Disabled mother has her hands full raising 7 kids

Raising seven children is a fulltime job for any parent, but made even harder when you don’t have a job at all.

But with medical issues ranging from diabetes, to neuropathy to compressed nerves in her vertebrae, Phoebe, whose name has been changed here to protect her family’s privacy, can’t work.

As a result, she is raising the seven children in her household — ages 1, two age 7,8,9, 12 and 14 — on disability, food stamps and public housing assistance.

But that doesn’t get Phoebe down.

“I don’t dwell on the negatives. I just try to take it day by day,” she said.

And that’s her approach to the

holidays as well. “I get when I can. Everyone gets one or two things and sometimes my mother gets everyone an outfit, but that’s about it,” she said.

This year, however, thanks to Operation Holiday contributions from generous Mercury readers,

they may get a little more.

Now in its 28th year, Operation Holiday has provided a brighter holiday season to thousands of families with children. Last year more than $42,000 in donations allowed the program to provide food and gifts for 147 families with 412 children in need.

The program was created and exists for children. The mission of Operation Holiday is to ensure

that children of the Pottstown area have food to eat and gifts to open, no matter how poor or difficult their family situation may be.

There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay in the Pottstown area. Families are referred by more than 20 local agencies and churches.

Funds are collected and audited in a non-profit foundation account managed by staff of The Mercury.

Food, which includes the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the

pantry, is ordered, bought, packed and distributed by Mercury employees and Pottstown High School student government 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.

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 should be mailed to The Mercury, Attn: Operation Holiday, 390 Eagleview Blvd., Exton, PA 19341. Make checks payable to Operation Holiday.