Owen 5: Project Hope of Easton

Yesterday, Sunday, December 15 my family and I volunteered for the second year in a row to help out Project Hope of Easton. What is Project Hope of Easton? It is a nonprofit organization that starts up every year on the 3rd Sunday in December and extends till the Sunday before Christmas. They invite numerous families in the Easton, PA area who are in need to come in and have a family meal, along with countless other activities for children and others alike. However, because the event calls so many people to the site, they are always in need of volunteers, so this is where I come in. 

Yesterday we had a showing of over 700 people come into the Our Lady of Lebanon church seeking food, shelter, and help. The activities they offer include a prepared Christmas meal, a clothing drive with over 1,000 pieces of gently-worn clothes, stuffed animal donations for children along with a visit from Santa himself to listen to the wishes of every child there. After Santa leaves, each child gets there own book, a small gift, and the family gets a food bag that includes enough to make another Christmas meal. 

While I was there I helped set up tables for the families along with delivering the food, helping hand out small gifts, and then when it was time to clean up, helped sweep and set it up all again for the second session. My job was to be a “Table monitor,”  I was there to assist if anybody needed help or had questions about how the event would work. 

Overall it was another great experience and heartwarming thing to do around the holidays. Although you sometimes have to attend to people who might not be in the holiday spirit, the act of giving instead of receiving and the Christmas spirit is embodied through Project Hope of Easton.