Gifts of Hope Touches our Community

As the Gifts of Hope campaign, now in its 25th year, moves forward, one of the most gratifying things to the organizers is that people who are helped by this holiday tradition sometimes reappear as donors when their circumstances have changed and many share a quick note after the holidays are over:

"Thank you for the Shaw's gift card, it made our holiday meal possible for my family. I will ‘pay it forward’ as much as I can. Your kindness and generosity overwhelms me".

"Thank you for all you do to put a smile on my face and lift a load from a burdened shoulder".

Once again, The Sharon Advocate has joined with the Rotary Club of Sharon to conduct Gifts of Hope. This nondenominational effort brings to light the spirit of the season - a willingness to give of yourself and your time; to share your goodwill with others. The Gifts of Hope campaign spreads this goodwill of Christmas and Hanukkah to needy families and individuals, who sometimes cannot buy holiday presents for their children. Later this month, members of the Rotary Club will wrap and hand-deliver bags of toys for children age 10 and under and gift cards for older family members.

Gifts of Hope has a springtime gift distribution for the Easter-Passover season. But it is not only a holiday affair. Throughout the year, aid is extended to people who struggle, for example, to pay for their heating oil or groceries in times of emergency.

The Sharon community, and its generosity, have made Gifts of Hope effective year after year. In the 2015 holiday season, Gifts of Hope distributed gift cards from Shaw’s to more than 100 seniors and families and brought gift cards and bags of toys to 74 children. Since the program began in 1992, more than 1,200 families and almost 1,300 children have benefited.

One touching thank you last year was a hand-made card from sisters who wrote " Dear Sharon Rotary Club, Thank you so much, we had the best Christmas because of you".

This year, many requests for assistance have come in. The Gifts of Hope committee works with town and school administrators, social workers and members of the clergy to identify people in need. Donations are made through the Rotary Club of Sharon Charitable Fund Inc., a registered 501(c)3 charity, and therefore are tax-deductible. To give a Gift of Hope send a check, made payable to the Rotary Club of Sharon Charitable Fund, Inc., with Gifts of Hope in the memo line, to Gifts of Hope, P.O. Box 52, Sharon, MA 02067.

If you know a family or person in need, contact Jane Desberg at (781) 784-2733. The confidentiality of all recipients will be strictly honored.

Gifts of Hope depends on donations made by caring individuals and families in town and elsewhere, many of whom make Gifts of Hope part of their personal holiday observance. Any monetary donation to the 2016 Gifts of Hope Campaign – whether it is $20 or $1,000 – will help bring a smile to a child, teenager, neighbor or senior citizen. The names of those who contribute – not the amount – will be published in The Advocate unless the donor wishes to remain anonymous.

Gifts of Hope is just one of the service projects of the Rotary Club of Sharon, which was founded in December 1941. One of the oldest service groups in Sharon, the club participates in local activities like the Independence Day celebration, Square Jam, and the Sharon Triathlon. The club serves a Thanksgiving dinner to Sharon seniors each year, works with the Interact Club at Sharon High School and supports local charities like School on Wheels and the Ilse Marks Food Pantry.

One of 34,000 Rotary clubs around the world – with the motto of “Service Above Self” – the Sharon Club started its charitable fund in 2011 to further its good works, including Gifts of Hope. In recent years, the club has supported a girls’ school in Afghanistan, a water project in Mexico and the worldwide disaster relief efforts of ShelterBox. To learn more about the Rotary Club of Sharon, visit our website at sharonrotary.org or find us on Facebook.