P. O. Box 427
Centre Hall, PA  16828
pennsvalleyhopefund@gmail.com

Christmas of HOPE 2014

Sat, 03/28/2015 - 12:38am -- hopefund

12/24/14
Merry Christmas to everyone!  Such a joyous time of year this is as we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ!  Many of you have felt the spirit early and have worked with us to make Christmas of HOPE a huge success!!  

Christmas of HOPE is an off-shoot of the charity the HOPE Fund of Penns Valley which started in 2008 as a way to help residents of Penns Valley faced with medical emergencies or personal disasters.  The HOPE Fund was started because we saw a great need in our community to help residents faced with these challenges.  At Christmas time, we wanted to be able to help the families assisted by the HOPE Fund even more by providing Christmas for their children.  Because the HOPE Fund is funded completely through donations, and because those donations are designated for families in need facing dire health situations or other tragedies, there needed to be a very definite separation between the HOPE Fund and Christmas of HOPE.  Therefore, Christmas of HOPE is recognized as its own entity.  

Like the Secret Angel program at the high school, Christmas of HOPE takes referrals from guidance counselors at the elementary schools as well as church pastors and the outreach committee from the HOPE Fund.  Businesses and community members have generously stepped forward this year to sponsor children by donating money, gifts, and their time to provide Christmas for 72 local children.  Christmas of HOPE is about providing for the needs of the children sponsored as well as some of the "wants". This program has grown trememdously since its inception and it is only possible because of the support of the entire community, including the schools. 

To all the sponsors of children, individuals, churches and businesses who made extra donations, and those who gave selflessly of their time to help wrap, organize, make angel ornaments and pillow case gift stuffers, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!   You have helped to bring a very special Christmas to the children who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to have presents under their tree on Christmas morning.  The HOPE Fund and Christmas of HOPE wishes  you a very joyous and blessed Christmas with your family and loved ones this year! 

Merry Christmas and Blessings from all of us at the HOPE Fund of Penns Valley

11/20/14
As you are giving thanks for the many blessings you have in your life, please take a moment to consider helping children of limited means in the Penns Valley Area School District to have a joyous Christmas morning. 

Without Christmas of HOPE there would not be gifts under the tree for the children we sponsor. Often times, there are not even trees. We call upon people in our Valley to help us meet the needs and even some special wants of these boys and girls. What we ask of our sponsors is very simple, but immensely rewarding. We give you information on a child. This form will include the age, sex, sizes, needs and interest of the child. The form will not tell you a name, but for confidentiality it will have a code. You and your family, team or co-workers will have time to shop for items on your list. If you volunteer to sponsor a child, the information you need for shopping will be given to you immediately along with other information and directions on what to do next.   

Each child we serve will also receive a stocking filled with pencils, crayons, markers, book covers as well as a Christmas Faith based Christmas ornament.

We HOPE you will consider sponsoring a child this year. All children that we serve are residents of the Penns Valley Area School District. If you are interested in sponsoring or need more information, please contact Kathy Coursen at kathycoursen@gmail.com or 364-2144 or Connie Gensimore at conniegensimore@aol.com  or 364-9538.  If you would like to make a monetary donation, checks can be made out to Christmas of HOPE and mailed to The HOPE Fund, PO Box 427, Centre Hall, PA 16828. We often receive referrals of needy children late in December, so it is never too late to volunteer to give Christmas to a local child.

Thank you so much for considering sponsorship.  We know you will find it very rewarding to have brightened a child's life by making their Christmas very special!  Blessings to you and yours!

Christmas of HOPE committee