New job won’t help mom of 5 this Christmas

This will be looking up for Clarice in 2019.

That’s when she will start a new full-time job, that will mean more money in her pocket and for her five children.

Clarice, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, is raising a two girls and three boys, ages 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 on a part-time salary.

She works in a hotel, but things are slowing down as the weather cools “and my hours keep getting cut.”

She makes ends meet with Food Stamps and little else.

“That’s why I went out on a job interview to try to improve our situation,” she said.

And she has, working caring in a care facility for the elderly, just not in time for Christmas.

“They want all kinds of things, especially the electronics, and I looked at that list and I said to myself, ‘this is just too much.’”

But maybe now, with help from generous Mercury readers, she may have just enough for Christmas.

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.

“Wow, thank you. My kids are really going to appreciate that,” Clarice said.