EBCAP Needs Your Help This Holiday Season

The East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP) is seeking local support for its Adopt-A-Family program to help Aquidneck Island families in need.

EBCAP's gift sponsorship and donation program this holiday season aims to help families obtain basic needs items and/or holidays gifts for children. Individuals, businesses, groups and organizations may participate in the program to help families in need obtain gifts on their suggestion list or through donations, said Audrey Field, the EBCAP-Americorps director.

"There's a need in every community," said Field. "Whether it's coats for the winter or toys for holiday gifts, we're able to connect those who want to help with those families in need. We can also connect the givers and recipients within a geographical area so that, if for example, a karate studio or Girl Scouts troop wanted to sponsor a Middletown or Newport or Portsmouth family local to them, we'd do our best to match them up."

Also last week, EBCAP and Americorps volunteers teamed up to hold a book fair at  on West Main Road Thursday night. 

Face-painting, coloring and other crafting activities were provided and volunteers held a holiday sing-along, read stories, conducted a scavenger hunt, suggested books for kids and families, and more.

Ten percent of sales from the book store and indoor cafe for that day benefited EBCAP. Funds raised will be used to hold a community outreach program in Middletown in May of 2011, said Field. The outreach program will focus on providing information to Middletowners on area Head Start programs, health, dental and other social services available to those in need.

On Thursday night, Barnes and Noble also arranged for Santa to pay a visit for kids to share their holiday wishes. Throughout the book fair, kids got the chance to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas while moms and dads snapped pictures and carefully took notes for the RFPs (requests for presents) to be dispatched to the North Pole immediately.

For more information about EBCAP's Adopt-a-Family program, contact the EBCAP Newport County office at 19 Broadway, Newport, by calling (401) 847-7821.