A young mother struggles to make ends meet

Samantha has never had to ask for help before.

The 19-year-old was a standout student at Reading High School and had her sights set on getting a college degree to give her children a better future than the one she had in the Dominican Republic.

But that goal became a little more difficult to achieve last year.

She found out she was going to be a mother, and with her father no longer in the picture, she knew she would have to work twice as hard to make her dream come true. That’s why she relied on her mother to help her care for her son while she took classes at Reading Area Community College.

“It was difficult balancing life as a new mother, being a student, and working at the same time,” she said. “We’re trying to get through it as best we can.”

Samantha, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, said she quickly realized she would need more help if she wanted to continue on her path to higher education. She reached out to local organizations that could offer support.

“I really want to stay in school because I want to show my son that you can do anything you put your mind to if you’re willing to work hard enough,” she said. “But sometimes that means not being afraid to ask for help.”

Thanks to the Helping Harvest team, the food bank provided her with essentials so her son never goes hungry. They also helped her fill out the paperwork she needed to apply for assistance from the federal government.

Samantha said she was grateful for the compassion she received during this very difficult time.

“There was a lot of stress to make sure we had what we needed,” she said. “But sometimes the kindness of others is truly overwhelming. I know we will get through this difficult period and get to the other side.”

Story

Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families in difficult times provide something for their children during the holidays. The program’s mission is to ensure there is food on the table and presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

Now in its 34th year, the program has served thousands of families in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties and has expanded its reach in recent years to communities served by readers of the Reading Eagle, the Times Herald, the Reporter and the Daily Local News be cared for.

Nearly $90,000 in donations last year provided food and gifts for 419 children and 184 families, as well as cash donations to food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.

This year, Operation Holiday worked with 17 agencies in the tri-state area. Agencies referred 189 families with 366 children for gifts and food.

With Operation Holiday there are no overhead costs and all funds stay on site. The funds are collected and verified in a charitable foundation account managed by volunteers from MediaNews Group newspapers.

Each family receives gift cards to area grocery stores so they can purchase the ingredients for a holiday meal as well as pantry staples. Weis Markets has partnered with Operation Holiday and has assisted with grocery shopping and gift cards.

Gift cards for each child age 16 or younger participating in the program will be purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in collaboration with referring agencies, allowing families to purchase gifts of their choice.

Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency. Operation Holiday is funded solely by reader contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.

How to donate

Online donations will be accepted in a secure portal in partnership with the TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork.org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday.

Donations can also be sent by check to Operation Holiday at PO Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 34 Susquehanna Ave., Suite 100, Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading PA 19607.

The names of all donors will be published in the participating newspapers once donations are received. Please consider whether a post should be marked as anonymous or intended as a tribute or in memory of someone.