PROJECT CHRISTMAS - Program of R-H Rotary, The Interfaith League (under FISH program) and RHAFT (Rush-Henrietta Area Food Terminal)
1974: Started approximately 1974 with Rotary and Interfaith League (FISH) volunteers packing boxes of food for delivery to those in need during the Christmas holiday time period.
1975: Rotary and Interfaith League (FISH) volunteers continued to collect and distribute boxes of food and gifts for children to families in need.
1979: The Interfaith League organized the community emergency food cupboard (RHAFT - Rush Henrietta Area Food Terminal and RHAFT continued the partnership with R-H Rotary for Project Christmas to assist community seniors and families in need with food and gifts for children.
Charley Lookup was instrumental in the promotion of this program through his ties with Rotary and RHAFT.
1993 plus: As Project Christmas continued, utilizing large Rotary support (financial and physical) with its' emphasis on families in need of food and gifts for children, holiday assistance to seniors started to spin off into a Senior Outreach program. While a box of food and gifts were delivered to qualifying families, the Senior Outreach program included a box of food and a poinsettia plant delivered to qualifying seniors. Arrangements for the gifts, and deliveries where supported by both Rotary and RHAFT volunteers. The Henrietta Dome Center/Minett Hall was utilized for many years as the distribution facility on the day deliveries occurred.
After the Dome Center closed, the distribution arrangements occurred from the Henrietta Town Maintenance Building and also Bushman cabin in the Henrietta Town Park. Space requirements were expanding, however, beyond the space available. Some Boy Scouts also assisted with the packing and delivery of food boxes and gifts. During this time, the Rotary emphasis continued with its main support for the family food boxes and gifts for children qualifying through RHAFT parameters.
With space difficulties and the huge requirements to orchestrate Project Christmas, RHAFT started contacting local businesses, churches, RIT, etc. to initiate an Adopt-A-Family program. The Henrietta Chamber of Commerce was also a helpful contact for the start of this program (through contacts from Charley Lookup). Local community members (contacted annually by RHAFT volunteers) have responded with great interest and support of this Adopt-A-Family program, has taken over the financial and distribution part of this prior PROJECT CHRISTMAS activity.
CURRENT: As more local community partners came on stream for the Adopt-A-Family program, the important Rotary support changed from funds to purchase food and gifts and delivery of these items to families, to financial and distribution support for the Senior Outreach Program now called the Senior Holiday Gift Program. The Senior Holiday Gift program provides a $30 Wegmans gift card plus a poinsettia plant (from R-H Rotary and RHAFT) to qualifying area seniors. The Henrietta Senior Center provides their facility on 2 days in December as the distribution point for over 300 seniors. Rotary, RHAFT and Senior Center volunteers set up and deliver these gifts.
PROJECT CHRISTMAS is now called the HOLIDAY GIFT PROGRAM and contains 2 projects:
ADOPT-A-FAMILY: Dec., 2021: 20 Sponsors adopted 37 families (104 children and 71 adults). SENIOR HOLIDAY GIFT project: Dec., 2021 provided 305 deliveries to seniors.
R-H Rotary support continues as a critical and important partner in the Holiday Gift Program.