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12 Days of Joy from Family to Family

Sponsor a family or senior this holiday season by building a gift kit over the first 12 days of December. Each day that you add a new item, your family can discuss and learn more about food insecurity and how it may affect your neighbors. Follow us on social media or in your in-box to get information and reminders – or check back here!

We are very excited to announce our the return of one of our most popular programs: our Family-to-Family Holiday Drive!

We again invite you to create a holiday gift bag of 12 different items for either a local family and/or a senior who may be struggling this year. Past donors have said:

  • “Our family is excited to help out this year and we hope our participation will become a new holiday tradition.”
  • “This is a great way for people to contribute. Thank you for letting us help.”
  • “Thank you for the opportunity to share my good fortune.”
  • “Love this project – looking forward to it!”
  • “Thanks for this opportunity. It makes our Christmas a happier one.”
  • “Thank you! This is the most meaningful activity my family does during the holidays!” 

You will be provided with a list of suggested items to fill the gift bag. We will send reminders and other information on each day from the 1st through 12th of December. Reminders will show up in your email inbox and will be posted here and on social media. Please make sure all gift items remain without gift wrap; this will allow us to more easily give the bag to an appropriate individual or family.

Gift bags will be collected in Concord on Friday, December 13th from 4-6pm and in Maynard on Saturday, December 14 from 10am-1pm. Clients will receive gift bags with the final food distribution of 2024.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to make the holidays more meaningful not only for the families who rely on Open Table, but for your family, too!

If you have any questions about this program, please contact the coordinator, Julie, at [email protected]

Download a printable shopping list

Open Table Family-to-Family: 12 Days of Giving Day 1: Movie night snack (popcorn, pretzels, chips) Day 2: Travel mug or tumbler Day 3: Fun activity: games, puzzles, puzzle books, cards, art supplies, craft kits Day 4: $25 chain grocery store/pharmacy/Visa gift card (please place in a marked envelope and include the store gift receipt) Day 5: Favorite baking mix for holiday baking. No need to provide other ingredients Day 6: Nice moisturizer or hand cream for cold weather Day 7: Hot chocolate mix, coffee or tea Day 8: Festive kitchen tea towel or napkins Day 9: Favorite store-bought holiday sweets Day 10: Olive oil (24 oz or less size) Day 11: Spread for toast (jellies, jams, nut butters) Day 12: Dried fruit and/or nuts Please place all items in a sturdy reusable bag (The best we have found are at TJMaxx)! The final weight of the bags must not exceed 25lbs for the safety of both clients and volunteers moving them around. Also remember we cannot accept homemade baked goods or alcoholic items in the bags. We thank you for adhering to these guidelines.
Day 1: Movie Night Snack Snacks like popcorn, pretzels, chips, etc.

Did you know? Federal food assistance programs such as SNAP are critically important to those who struggle to feed their families, but for most of them, it’s not nearly enough. Food pantries like Open Table are used to fill the gaps.

Day 2: Travel Mug or Tumbler Travel mugs, tumblers, or reusable cups with lids

Did you know? When grocery prices rise, all foods are not affected equally. The cost of nutrient rich foods increases more than nutritionally poor foods, making it even harder for our clients to maintain a healthy diet.

Thank You for Spreading Joy from Family to Family in 2023