Valley Wide Help Lists Agencies Providing Holiday Aid
News Release: December 18, 2002
Contact: Janice Osborne, Manager-Media & Community Affairs
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262
If you would like to make the holidays a little brighter for others or need assistance for you or your family but don’t know who to call, American Red Cross Valley Wide Help has the answer.
Red Cross Valley Wide Help, an information and referral service of the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley, has compiled a list of area agencies and organizations providing assistance to families this holiday season and seeking donations.
If you need assistance this holiday or would like to make a donation, the following agencies and organizations can help. For the most up-to-date information, call Red Cross Valley Wide Help at 610-865-4400.
For a holiday meal or to attend a holiday event:
Allentown
Allentown Rescue Mission, 355 Hamilton Street, Allentown, 610-740-5500
Dec. 25: Christmas brunch at 10 a.m.; Christmas dinner at 4 p.m.
New Generation Learning Center, 712 W. Linden Street, Allentown, 610-434-2456
Dec. 22: Holiday dinner at 4 p.m.
St. James A.M.E and Zion Church, 410 Union Street, Allentown, 610-433-6406
Dec. 25: Christmas dinner at noon
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 36 S. Eighth Street, Allentown, 610-435-9065
Dec. 25: Christmas breakfast at 8 a.m.
Spirit of the Lehigh Valley, Four Points Sheraton, 3400 Airport Road, Allentown, 610-231-5701
Dec. 24: Tenth “Annual” Free Dinner Buffet including entertainment and Santa.
Free bus pick-up. To reserve a seat, contact one of the following agencies:
Allentown: Allentown Rescue Mission, 610-740-5500; Boys and Girls Club of Allentown, 610-432-9323; Hispanic American Organization, 610-435-5334; Program for Women and Families, 610-433-6556; Salvation Army, 610-432-0129
Bethlehem: Center City Ministries, 610-691-3373; Community Services For Children, 610-437-6000; New Bethany Ministries, 610-691-5602; Northampton Housing Authority, 610-759-8488; Northeast Ministries, 610-691-3355; Salvation Army, 610-867-4681; South Bethlehem Neighborhood Center, 610-865-2791; Turning Point, 610-797-0530; Valley Youth House, 610-820-0166
Easton: Boys And Girls Club Of Easton, 610-253-5846; Easton Area Neighborhood Center, 610-253-4253; Project Of Easton, 610-258-4361; Salvation Army, 610-258-9531
Bethlehem
New Bethany Ministries, 333 Fourth Street, Bethlehem, 610-691-5602
Dec. 25: Brunch at 10:30 a.m.
Trinity SK, 44 East Market Street, Bethlehem, 610-867-4741
Dec. 25: Dinner from noon to 1 p.m.
Easton
Community That Cares Clinic/Easton Area Neighborhood Center, VFW Post 1290,
516 Northampton Street, Easton, 610-252-7309
Dec. 20: Holiday party from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for clients and residents of Easton’s West Ward
Project Hope, Third Street Alliance, 41 N. Third Street, Easton, 610-258-3599 (after 5 p.m.)
Dec. 22: Holiday meal from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: includes a visit from Santa with toys for the children.
Trinity Episcopal Church, 234 Spring Garden Street, Easton, 610-253-0792
Dec. 21: Holiday lunch at noon; no reservation needed
For holiday assistance such as toys and other items:
Northeast Ministries, 610-691-3355
Serves public housing clients residing in Northeast Bethlehem and having the address of Livingston Street
South Bethlehem Neighborhood Center, 610-865-2791
Serves clients residing within the 18015 ZIP Code
Carbon County
The Salvation Army of Tamaqua, 570-668-0410
Holiday food baskets for residents of Carbon and Schuylkill counties
The following organizations are requesting donations of specific items that may include time and talents or have a need for “adopt-a-family” during the holiday season:
Aids Outreach, 610-435-8424; “Christmas Angel”: Looking for donations of gifts/food for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS.
Everlasting Life Ministries, 610-776-4009; Asking for donations of cooked turkeys (in disposable tins), baked goods, money and time to support a community holiday dinner.
Lehigh County Conference of Churches, 610-433-6421; Requesting the following adult items: Bar soap, blankets, combs, deodorant, female hygiene products, hand lotion, men’s socks, new or clean-used underwear, pony tail holders, razors, shampoo, shaving cream, small hand towels, tooth brushes, toothpaste. Children: Coloring books, crayons, puzzles, etc. Baby Items: Baby bottles, diapers, lotion. Drop-off (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.): J.S. Burkholder Funeral Home, 16th & Hamilton Street, Allentown 610-433-5161.
Project Hope, 610-258-3599; In need of toys for children (ages 3 weeks to 18) who will be attending the holiday meal being held Sunday, December 22.
Project of Easton, 320 Ferry Street, Easton - 610-258-4361; “Blanket Easton With Love.” Collecting new, full size, wrapped blankets. Deliver to the organization’s office.
South Bethlehem Neighborhood Center, 610-865-2791; In need of new, donated items that will be used to stock shelves of a holiday shop where children may shop for gifts for family and friends.
Spirit of Lehigh Valley, 610-231-5701 (Contact: Marci Huber); Volunteer your time, talent or treasure to support this event: free dinner buffet. New, unwrapped toys may be dropped off at the Four Points Sheraton, Airport Road, Bethlehem, or Holiday Inn Fogelsville, Routes 100 & I-78, Fogelsville. Also accepting food donations such as dinner rolls and desserts.
The Salvation Army of Allentown, 610-431-0129; turkeys and canned hams are needed to fill holiday food baskets along with volunteers to pack the baskets. Looking for donations of clothing and toys.
The Salvation Army of Bethlehem, 610-867-4681; turkeys and canned hams are needed to fill holiday food baskets along with volunteers to pack the baskets. Looking for donations of clothing and toys.
The Salvation Army of Easton, 610-252-7309; food donations.
Daybreak, 610-820-5049; adopt a participant in the Daybreak program.
Hogar Crea, 610-776-0525 (Contact: Abel Seguinot); or 610-866-3442 (Contact: Vonda Jones); adopt-a-family; looking for donations of toys/gifts for program residents.
Sixth Street Shelter, 610-435-1490; family sponsors needed.
South Bethlehem Neighborhood Center, 610-865-2791; family sponsors needed.
The Salvation Army of Allentown, 610-431-0129; family sponsors needed.
American Red Cross Valley Wide Help is a free information and referral service offering direct provision of information about social and human services. Trained information specialists use a comprehensive computerized database of more than 2,000 referral sources to identify specific organizations that may be of assistance to area residents. Accessibility of information is ensured through the availability of six dedicated telephone numbers, bilingual services to Spanish-speaking callers and a text telephone system for the hearing impaired.
Calls to Valley Wide Help are answered Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. After 6 p.m. and on weekends, calls are answered through a voice mail system that offers a menu of referrals to address callers’ needs in an emergency situation. For non-emergencies, the voice mail system offers callers the option of leaving a message and requesting a return call.
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 660,000 residents in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training and emergency relief services to more than 20,000 Greater Lehigh Valley residents.
For more information, call the Red Cross at (610) 865-4400 or visit www.redcrosslv.org.
