Photos: Christmas In May For Framingham Kids Home From School

FRAMINGHAM, MA — It's been a difficult spring, and so Santa Claus decided to make an off-season visit to kids at Framingham's Pelham Life Long Learning Center recently.

A "Christmas in May" event was held at the complex recently as part of United Way of Tri-County’s Project Toy Box campaign. The campaign was launched amid school closures related to coronavirus.

"For economically-disadvantaged families, [school closing] presents a challenge," the United Way of Tri County says of the campaign. "Through Project Toy Box, the United Way of Tri-County is partnering with local social service agencies to provide new toys, games, and activities for children in lower-income families and children of frontline workers. Kids ages 5 to 12 will be receiving STEM-based building kits, art activities, stuffed animals, and more."

In Framingham, volunteers (who practiced social-distancing safety) spent four hours at the Pelham Apartments complex on a recent day delivering 130 gift bags — filled with items like Legos, dolls, and coloring books — to kids and families.

They even played Christmas music as a caravan of vehicles drove through the complex to make the deliveries, Pelham Life Long Learning Center Director Maria Rosado said.