New Opportunities of Greene County and Adopt-A-Family are partnering together for the Toys for Tots and Holiday Food Basket programs.

New Opportunities Coordinator Teresa Lansman says the goal of both programs is to help take the burden off of those qualifying families during the holiday season, so they can use their funds for other things.  Donations for the Toys for Tots includes new toys, as well as gift cards for any child up to 16 years-old.  She describes why they accept gift cards for the older kids.

“We hate to leave anybody out.  If their little brother or sister is opening up a present, the older kids understand a little bit more.  But even a gift card to local businesses (can help) and it just makes their Christmas a little bit brighter.”

Monetary, canned food and other non-perishable food items can be donated for the food baskets.  Deadline for donations is by December 11th.  Families can sign up for either program at the New Opportunities office in Jefferson by November 24th.  Distribution for the food baskets is on December 18th and Toys for Tots is on December 24th, both at Clover Hall on the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Last year, they helped out 125 families and 250 kids with Toys for Tots and 170 families with the Holiday Food Baskets.  Last month, New Opportunities and Adopt-A-Family helped 172 children with their Warm Hearts program.

Donations can be made to several places including New Opportunities, Adopt-A-Family at P.O. Box 364, Jefferson, Iowa 50129 or People’s Trust and Savings Bank.