BNLers Help Brighten Holidays for Local Families

December 24, 2013

In usual fashion, employees from across the Lab site demonstrated extraordinary generosity by “adopting” local families and supplying gifts and gift cards that will help our less fortunate neighbors have a nice holiday. 

Currently led by Lynda Zach, executive director of Colonial Youth and Family Services in Mastic, the Adopt-a-Family campaign has been providing gifts to local residents for over 35 years. Last year, the Lab sponsored 12 of 163 adopted families. This year, the Lab doubled that number by sponsoring 24 of the 160-plus adopted families.

“It was amazing,” said Tara Shiels of the Lab’s Community Relations Office, who coordinates the Brookhaven Lab donations. “On collection day, the gifts just kept streaming in to our conference room. It really put me in the holiday spirit.”

The gifts of clothing, toys, electronics, food, and gift cards were collected and then delivered by Lab drivers to the distribution site at the Knights of Columbus in Mastic.  

“With support from the Lab and other local organizations, schools, scouts, and individuals we are making the holidays much brighter for many of our neighbors,” said Ray Hopp, deputy director of Colonial Youth and Family Services.  “We are grateful to everyone, including the Knights of Columbus who kindly open their doors and allow us to use their hall as a collection and distribution center.”

Ron Townsend, chair of the board of Brookhaven Science Associates, the company that manages and operates Brookhaven Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy, added that he is already keenly aware of the generosity of Lab employees. “Extraordinary science with extraordinary community spirit is definitely the right recipe for a happy holiday season for all of us,” said Townsend. “I applaud everyone who helped make this year’s Adopt-a-Family campaign a success.”

2013-4519  |  INT/EXT  |  Newsroom