Young mom faces challenges at Christmas

Camila desperately wants to make her daughter’s first Christmas a special one, but she knows that won’t be an easy task.

Like most people, she has been feeling the financial pinch caused by inflation. And she’s facing other challenges, too, that are making cash tight this holiday season.

In particular, her mom, who has long been the main breadwinner for Camila’s family, is facing a major health crisis. She’s currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, which means she can’t work.

And Camila isn’t able to hold down a steady job at the moment, either. The 18-year-old is breastfeeding her 9-month-old daughter, which prevents her working.

“We are definitely not at our highest point right now,” she said.

Camila, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, has been struggling to balance caring for her daughter and her mother at the same time. That leaves little room to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

“My mom makes the most

money and she is the one paying the mortgage so it has been really hard on all of us,” she said. “Everyone has been stepping up because someone has to buy groceries, someone has to put gas in the car, someone has to help pay the bills.”

Camila said becoming a new mother while this is happening has been extremely difficult. So she is grateful for the generosity of local food banks that are helping to carry through this rough patch.

“The things we get at the food bank help out a lot,” she said. “They’re very generous with the amount of food they give so it goes a long way. And, thankfully, my daughter has a good father who makes sure she has what she needs so that has been a huge help.”

Despite the financial assistance, Camila said the family is still struggling with the emotional toll of her mother’s illness. But it’s something she’s working

HOW TO DONATE

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. Contributions can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to PO Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 307Derstine Ave., Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading, PA 19607.

The names of all contributors are published in the participating newspapers as donations are received. Please note whether a contribution should be designated as anonymous or given in tribute or in memory of someone.

hard to put aside as Christmas approaches.

“We’re trying to not think about the cancer right now,” she said. “We really want to enjoy the holidays as much as possible.”

That’s where Operation

Holiday comes in. Camila’s family is among those referred to the fund which provides help with food and gifts this season.

Operation Holiday

Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families going through tough times provide something for their children during the holidays. The mission of the program is to make sure there is food on the table and gifts under the tree when Christmas morning comes.

Now in its 32nd year, the program has served thousands of families throughout Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, expanding its reach in recent years to include communities served by Reading Eagle, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News.

More than $122,000 in donations last year provided food and gifts for 379 children and cash donations to 13 food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.

This year, Operation

Holiday has partnered with 22 agencies in the tricounty area. Agencies have referred 144 families with 375 children for gifts and food and an additional 34 families for food. The program is also assisting the eight families in Pottstown who lost their homes in a devastating explosion in May.

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 who volunteer their time.

Gift cards to area grocery stores are provided to each family for food, so that they can purchase the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the pantry. Weis Markets is a partner with Operation Holiday and has assisted with food purchases and gift cards.

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 so that families can purchase gifts of their choice.

Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency.

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