Throughout December, many Madison students participated in a heartwarming initiative called Operation Holiday. This program connects struggling families from across New Jersey with generous volunteers, including members of the Madison Interact Club, to provide holiday gifts for their loved ones. This year, Interact helped four families, each one facing unique challenges, making Christmas difficult for them.
One of the families that Madison students helped was a family of 5 from Morristown. Within this family, a 40-year-old woman and her husband are caring for their two kids, one of whom is battling against stage 3 liver disease. After her apartment was ruined by mold, she had to save excessively to cover expenses. This is just one of many families who have been dealing with challenging circumstances.
The families helped by Operation Holiday shared similar struggles, including coping with life-threatening illnesses, or facing the economic effects of COVID-19. What makes this project so meaningful is its focus on nearby communities such as Morristown and Summit. As a group, Interact students purchased over 100 gifts and helped wrap them.
In one case, a family in Morristown simply asked for a bed. Madison junior Saanvi Sureka went above and beyond and bought a mattress and bed for them. Other Interacters, including Wenrou Liu, Elizabeth Green, and Adam Haydoutov made contributions by providing shoes, toys, clothing, and restaurant gift cards, spreading holiday joy to those in need.
Acts of kindness like these are what makes the holiday season so special and heartwarming. As someone who personally delivered the gifts to some of the families, I got to witness the smiles and joy when bringing their gifts. It’s moments like these that remind us of the power of community and compassion during the holidays.