December 2015

NLH in conjunction with the Mental Health Association of Fulton and Montgomery Counties made the holidays brighter for Fulton County children.

Since 1994, the NLH Gingerbread Project has collected hundreds of brightly wrapped and perfectly ribboned packages – bringing holiday cheer to local children in need. The project is coordinated by Kelly Colby, The Littauer Foundation Development Coordinator.

“This effort truly brings out the holiday spirit in our staff,” said Colby. “This project is highly anticipated each year. We get to be Santa to a child we don’t even know, thereby brightening their holiday as well as our own.”

Recently, students from the Criminal Justice program at Fulton-Montgomery Community College joined in collecting additional names and contributing gifts through the hospital’s drive.

This year the NLH Gingerbread Project served 66 local children. The gingerbread cut-outs were hung for Littauer employees to choose. All the names were selected resulting in hundreds of gifts for holiday distribution.

“The Mental Health Association in Fulton and Montgomery Counties has been the recipient agency of the generosity of the Gingerbread Project of Nathan Littauer Hospital for the last three years. The children and families that have benefitted from the Gingerbread Project have always been so amazed at what has been given to help their children have a magical Christmas,” said Janine Dykeman, Executive Director, Mental Health Association in Fulton & Montgomery Counties.
Dykeman went on to explain that when one boy’s mother opened the door for our staff when dropping off the gifts for her son – she burst into tears.
“She was a single parent who had been laid off from her job and did not know what she was going to do for him. All of the wonderful people involved with the Gingerbread Project gave her and her son a Christmas to remember,” concluded Dykeman. “Thank you for all the care you give to our neighbors in so many ways.”

Students from the Criminal Justice program at F-MCC contribute to Littauer’s Gingerbread Project