Youngstown/Porter Christmas Basket Program thanks community

Guest Editorial

Dear friend of the Youngstown/Porter Christmas Basket Program:

With a grateful heart, I thank you for volunteering and/or donating to our 2025 Youngstown/Porter Christmas Basket Program (YPCBP). You are part of the joy of Christmas, and many families were blessed because of your generosity. For 2025, we served over 70 families and more than 125 children. 

Many volunteers worked hard to put together the gifts and/or food and food cards that participants received.

The Youngstown Lions Club provided gift cards for teens, plus gifts and a generous donation for Tops gift cards. Boy Scout Troop 829 ran a food drive and assisted with set-up of the gym. The Youngstown Yacht Club provided a very generous monetary donation and prepared turkey dinners for 60 families for Thanksgiving. Special thanks to Commodore Charles Kegler and office manager Tracie Zortman. Other local clubs such as the Lew-Port Retired Teachers and the Lew-Port Middle School Builders Club made donations. St. Bernard’s and the First Presbyterian Church provided gifts from their angel trees, and many individuals donated toys and clothing.

Many donated monies for gift cards, including Tops, the Youngstown Garden Club, the Youngtown Study Club, St. John’s Episcopal Church (which also gave many gloves and hats for children), RCR Yachts, Coppins Service Center, as well as several other generous community donors.

Others who provided monetary donations included St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Youngstown First Presbyterian Church and its women’s organization, Lew-Port Youth Football, Everything Youngstown and Ray’s Tavern.

Even though the economy is a challenge for many, we found our community to be very generous once again. 

Delivery of gifts/food boxes/gift cards is a big day for our program, and Saturday Dec. 20, was a success. A special thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard – Youngstown Sector, Pete Coppins and son Ryan, and the many volunteers who delivered in the Youngstown/Porter area. Our success of this program is dependent on delivering our "baskets," and I am extremely grateful to all involved on delivery day.

I would like to thank the businesses that supported the food drive: Somewhere Youngstown, the Youngstown Village Diner, Everything Youngstown, Salon Christine & Co., Anchor Spirits & Wines, Ray’s Tavern, Bandanas, Youngstown Marketside, the Ontario House (aka “Stone Jug”), Hill of Beans Coffee Stop, the Youngstown Free Library, the Village of Youngstown and the Town of Porter Clerk’s Office.

Thanks to Supervisor John “Duffy” Johnson and staff at the Town of Porter; Irene Myers, First District Niagara County legislator; Youngstown Mayor Rob Reisman and Deputy Mayor Rick Stortecky; the Village of Youngstown Board of Trustees, and the amazingly helpful Youngstown Village Clerk’s Office. We appreciate Clerk Alex Certo for her help and support.

Our program is an excellent one, and is organized to ensure success for our community. It could not be accomplished without the help of a great committee. I am thankful for Kim Polley, Julie Grana, Colleen Caprio, Joanie Nicolette, Bev Roach, Janet Brooks, Rita Rolfe, Peggy Hanson, Barbara Malinowski, Linda Lambert, Maureen Gambino, Shawn D’Luhy, Lion Sue DeJoseph, Kyle Heath, Terese Skimin, Joyce Casper, Kevin Miller, Alexandra Certo, and Lion Richard Allen and Terry Cummings. My sincere appreciation to all of them!

We are all looking forward to 2026 and thank you again for supporting this community effort. Warm regards and happy new year!

Colleen Mary Summerville, YPCBP chair; and the 2025 committee

Donated gifts and foods fill the Youngstown Village Center gym, ready for delivery.