WELLINGTON, Fla. — With only one week left until the holidays, one group collecting presents for families in need is working overtime.
The Mom's Club of Wellington has made sure children in the community receive gifts for the past seven years, but this holiday season is proving to be the most overwhelming year yet.
Aimee Stern has been leading the toy collection.
"It’s very stressful," she said.
Her home is flooded with wrapping paper, bags, and presents that need to be sent to children in need.
But even though there are many gifts waiting to be picked up, more still need to be donated to fulfill her 80-page wish list that consists of 1,312 kids’ names. It's the most they have ever had.
“It's been a very rough year between the economy, tornadoes, all kinds of things happened this year,” Stern said.
One name on the list was 18-month-old Annaliese King.
She was giggling and playing with toys as her mother gratefully picked up gifts for the holiday.
Helping families like theirs put gifts under the tree is Stern’s goal, one she is worried about meeting this year as 47 children’s wish lists have still not been granted.
“We just have some challenges this year," she said.
Stern said with a higher demand of children and not as many donations, they are running out of time for people to drop off presents.
Instead, to ensure kids get what they want this holiday season, the club is asking for monetary donations or gift cards so they can buy what they know the kids want.
“We try to get something off the list that they want I don't want to waste any of the items, period," Stern said.
Stern is asking for anyone who would like to help them buy presents for the remaining children to call her at 561-504-1814.
She will be accepting donations through the weekend.
"We want to help. So that's why I started this. That's why I continue this. And I probably won't sleep until New Year’s," she said.
