The holidays are about helping your neighbors, and nonprofit organizations Caitlin’s Smiles and Channels Food Rescue are joining together for a Holiday Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m., to celebrate a successful year and further support the community with a donation drive. The Holiday Open House will be held at their neighboring locations on North Sixth Street in Harrisburg (at 3303 and 3305 North Sixth Street).
Both organizations wish to thank their sponsors, donors and volunteers for a year of generous giving. The offices of Caitlin’s Smiles and Channels Food Rescue will be filled with holiday cheer, complete with refreshments, entertainment, door prizes, silent auctions, demonstrations and tours. All community members are welcome to attend the event.
For those wishing to donate this holiday season, both organizations have produced a list of needed items:
Caitlin’s Smiles: Play-Doh®, markers, crayons, coloring or activity books, sketch pads for teens, macramé hemp, plastic lacing/gimp, embroidery floss, pencils, ink pens, pony beads, Ziploc® baggies in snack and sandwich sizes, and gift cards from area craft and office supply stores
Channels Food Rescue: Canned fish/meat/chicken, chili, stew, beans, soup (especially with meat), vegetables, tomatoes or tomato sauces, fruit, cereal, oatmeal (single servings), pasta, crackers, juice boxes (100% juice only) and granola bars (Please note that all donations should be nonperishable meal items in small cans or boxes – not glass containers; also, please do not provide condiments or sugary items.)
Caitlin’s Smiles delivers arts and crafts kits to children facing chronic or life-threatening illnesses, and donations will be used to fill their Bags of Smiles craft packages. To date, Caitlin’s Smiles has given more than 60,000 Bags of Smiles and more than a million craft kits to bring smiles to the faces of children. Channels Food Rescue collects perishable and non-perishable food and distributes it to member agencies such as homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Donations will be used for its canned food drive to help community members in need.
