For nearly 10 years, the city of Goodyear has continued to fill a need through a program that has provided gifts to brighten the holidays for families experiencing financial and medical hardships.

For the 2013 Christmas season, the City of Goodyear’s Fill-A-Need Program was able to assist 21 families which included 100 children and also connected another eight families with a total of 28 children at Moose Lodge No. 2078 in Goodyear during its recent Annual Christmas with Santa Luncheon.

There were about 30 volunteers – including several city employees – who donated more than 250 hours wrapping the present on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 12-13 and passing out the gifts on Saturday, Dec. 14. The city of Goodyear sponsors the Fill-A-Need program, but also receives support from Black Bear Diner at 980 N. Dysart Road and Peter Piper Pizza (1463 N. Dysart Road), who donate a percent of the proceeds on certain days throughout the year to the Fill-A-Need program.

Veronica Holquin, chairman of the 15-member Fill-A-Need Committee who works in the city’s Information Technology Services Department, said everyone was excited and grateful to receive the gifts.  Each family also was provided with a Christmas tree, Christmas decorations, a food box, household items box, a Fry’s gift card and turkey to help with the holiday meals.

“The families were very appreciative of all the items,” Holquin said. “We had kids so excited to see presents being put under their trees and parents crying of happiness and hugging the volunteers as they dropped off the gifts. It was very touching.”

Each fall, the city receives referrals of families in need from schools, law enforcement and other agencies. Last year, the Fill-A-Need program was able to help 28 families with gifts, Holquin said. Overall, Fill-A-Need has been helping families in the community since 2005 on an average of 35 families a year.

Families submit information of why they are in hardship, a one-time application.  This year, there single mothers raising their children alone on one income, families with members that have disabilities or illnesses and can’t work, and families faced with mounting medical bills. “This year, the number of families was slightly less than last year, but that was only because we received less applications,” Holquin said. “That could be a sign that more families are doing better, and we hope that’s the case.”

To learn more about contributing to the Fill-A-Need program, please call (623) 882-7081 or e-mail your name and contact information to gyneed@goodyearaz.gov.

– GOODYEARAZ.GOV –