Making the holiday season merrier for families in need is an important holiday tradition. 2022 is no different, with volunteer teams and initiatives led by Jerri Walker, Volunteer and Project Coordinator, AHRC Nassau, seeking to close the gap created by the ever-increasing costs of living on Long Island and the very real realities of caring for a loved one with a disability.

We’d like to thank the following for their kindness in making wished for and needed gifts possible:

• Marie Greco and Tina Munz, along with caring members of the entire Greco-Munz family for stepping into Santa’s boots and making the wishes of five families become a reality on Christmas morning. The families have been adopting the needs of AHRC families for over two decades – always carefully shopping and wrapping each gift with care. “It is wonderful to have my grandson, Michael involved,” shared Marie. “He knows exactly what the kids would love.”
• The incredible volunteers at Purolator for coming together and hosting a holiday party for 13 families complete with a visit from Santa and his dancing elves.  Purolator employees adopted the needs of the entire family making this a very beautiful and meaningful celebration.
• The students of St. Luke’s Preschool & Early Childhood Center in Dix Hills who are learning lessons of compassion and gratitude by adopting the needs of their peers, selecting a wished for gift and making sure it will be opened on Christmas morning.  The students were able to adopt 100 wishes this year. You all are our Santa, elves, and reindeers, every year. Thank you!
• The EGC Group and its president, Nicole Penn, for adopting the needs of children and adults who struggle during the holiday and who truly benefit from the connection these gifts bring into their lives.
• Employees and Community Volunteers for stepping forward to support the annual Giving Tree at AHRC’s three offices in Brookville, Plainview and Freeport supporting dozens of wishes this season.