People In Need, Inc. of Delaware County Ohio (PIN) is excited to announce that applications for the 68th annual Holiday Clearing House (HCH) are now open.
First held in 1954, the 2021 Holiday Clearing House provided holiday meals, gifts and toys, and new winter coats to 658 Delaware County families and senior households – a record number which included 1,189 children.
“Every year, this event is a thrilling time for our staff and volunteers. It’s a real showing of our community and the level of generosity which is in Delaware County. It may seem a bit early at this point to plan for the holidays, but with the number of families taking part in the Holiday Clearing House rising each year, we need this time to put everything in motion and ensure that they can truly have a worry-free holiday season,” said Kathy Hoff, PIN’s executive director.
Now entirely online, both the family and senior applications are located on PIN’s website at DelawarePeopleInNeed.org/hch. After opening on Sept. 6, within 48 hours more than 150 children were placed on the roster. Each one of these local children will receive gifts hand selected by their parents through PIN, and also chosen items picked right from their wishlist through community “adopters.”
“It’s clear that the need in Delaware County is not slowing down, particularly around the holidays. Parents are already anxious about how they’re going to manage to provide their children with the things they’ll enjoy,” Hoff said. “If we can be one small part of spreading some holiday cheer to them all, it’s ‘mission accomplished’ for us.”
The organization also announced several changes and improvements to the program this year.
They are shifting back to a one-day “Family Distribution Day” on Sunday, Dec. 11 – the same as pre-coronavirus operations. In addition, senior participants will have the option to pick up their gifts and groceries from PIN’s warehouse on Johnson Drive or have them delivered to their home on Thursday, Dec. 8.
Another change this year is PIN is asking that food drives for the program are targeted at certain items on a tailored menu. “For many years, the groceries provided at the event were very similar to the variety we have available weekly in our regular Food Pantry,” Hoff said. “We wanted to do something new and special for 2022, so we have a set menu with recipes provided for traditional holiday meals together as a family. Ham is also provided, a very special touch that we’ve not always been able to have. Of course, families are also encouraged to use our regular food services each week for what they need.”
Thousands of hours from hundreds of volunteers are what allows the HCH to take place each year. From conducting food, toy, and coat drives throughout the county, to helping pack groceries and guiding families through “Distribution Day,” PIN’s volunteer corps keeps the event going smoothly.
The 2021 Holiday Clearing House witnessed more than 3,400 hours donated by community members just at the Coliseum building on the fairgrounds, where the hub of operations is located.
Hoff reinforced that the deadline for both the family and senior applications is Friday, Oct. 7. Due to the increasing volume of requests for assistance, PIN is unable to accommodate exceptions to the deadline.
More information about the Holiday Clearing House and PIN’s other programs can be found online at DelawarePeopleInNeed.org. Volunteer signups are requested in advance and can also be found on the website.
