Lemont Township Helps Struggling Families With Kids' Christmas Gifts

Lemont Township officials are urging residents to support struggling families this holiday season by providing Christmas gifts for children or monetary donations to its general assistance fund.

Every Christmas, the township asks residents to "adopt" Lemont families in need of extra financial assistance. This year, trees at the , 16050 W. 127th St., and 16028 W. 127th St., were decorated with stars that each represented a Lemont child. Each star contains clothing sizes and Christmas wishes, such as toys and books.

Since the beginning of December, residents have been able to pick up stars and either buy Christmas gifts for the children or donate money to Lemont Township's Family Assistance Fund.

Though Wednesday was supposed to be the final day for dropping off presents, Township Supervisor Steve Rosendahl said during the township board meeting Tuesday that there were still many children left to be sponsored.

"These stars are clients from the food pantries or who are registered for meal programs through the schools, so we truly know these are kids who probably won't see many Christmas gifts unless we help them," Rosendahl said.

Township Clerk Barbara Buschman said she has been in contact with the Park District, and that both offices would likely extend the deadline to the end of the week to give residents more time.

"That's the bad thing with the old building–there aren't many people in there anymore who actually see the tree," Buschman said of Centennial Community Center.

Residents can either go to the park district facilities to pick up a star or can contact the Lemont Township offices for other options. According to Rosendahl, sponsors are only asked to spend about $25 or $30 on the gift, but are also encouraged to donate to the assistance fund. Any money allocated toward the Christmas drive is used to purchase gift cards for the remaining children, he said.

All donations are tax deductible and need to be dropped off to the township offices, located at 1115 Warner Ave., by the end of the week, Rosendahl said.

"If you can't get over there to pick up a star, then I would encourage you to donate to the Lemont Township Family Assistance Fund and earmark the money for Christmas gifts," he said.

Despite the remaining stars, Rosendahl said the township would likely be able to support the children through their family assistance fund. However, he emphasized the importance of supporting fellow township residents during the difficult holiday season.

"This is the time we see the amount of general assistance creeping up," he said. "We're working with residents on several options to get them [through Christmas]."

For more information on Christmas sponsorship program, call 630-257-2522.