Great Falls Optimist Club

Holiday Meals and Presents   

 For many years, the Great Falls Optimist Club and the National Council of Jewish Women’s (NCJW) Northern Virginia Section joined in providing a wonderful holiday dinner, complete with turkey, ham and “all the fixin’s” to more than 25 families in the community.   In December, the two organizations also provide presents for the children in at least 25 families. The meals and presents were delivered to area schools where they are distributed to the families.   

In 2008, the Club partnered with Enrich NOVA to identify over 100 families in the community, through coordination with seven elementary and middle schools. The meals were delivered directly to recipients' homes just in time for the holidays.  The Optimist Club also provided gift cards to each family so that they could purchase presents for their children.                                  

            “We all get great pleasure every year, knowing that so many families will have a great holiday meal and wonderful presents for their children,” said Angela Bongiorno, chairperson of the Optimists’ meal and gift-giving program.  “We enjoy shopping for the presents and getting everything wrapped and delivered on time. We enjoy dropping off the presents at peoples' homes. It adds to the enjoyment of our holiday as well as the recipients’. And I can’t say enough about how helpful the Safeway employees have been in pulling together the food and helping load all the items for delivery. ” Safeway has also donated drinks such as cider and apple juice to accompany the meals in years past.

(LEFT:Left to right, standing) George Hersey, Angela Bongiorno, Linda Thompson, Beth Hersey, T.R. Cook, Betty Swartz, Candace Campbell and (kneeling) Dan Smith load holiday meals and presents into their cars for delivery to  local families. (Not pictured: Sara Darnell).

BELOW: Optimist Club volunteers line up to get their delivery assignments and boxes of food.