GRANTING A WISH LIST: Working toward a happy Christmas for Princeton area families, from left: Rose Wong, CEO of the YWCA Princeton; Gene Chodkiewicz as Santa; Jill Jachera, founder of the St. Nicholas Project; and Tara O’Shea, COO of the YWCA Princeton. (Photo courtesy of YWCA Princeton)
By Wendy Greenberg
Next week the spirit of Christmas will overtake the gym of the YWCA Princeton as the space fills with art supplies, books, toys, household needs, and even new pajamas, as part of the St. Nicholas Project.
Princeton area families have made their lists, and organizer Jill Jachera is checking them twice. Some families whose children attend the Y child care center, many of whom are new to the U.S., were “adopted” by generous donors, and will pick up items on their wish list, and more. Jachera, a Princeton area resident, makes sure there is nothing missing from a family’s wish list — and that everyone will get books, art supplies and new pajamas, which was a Christmas tradition in Jachera’s household.
This year the program serves 21 families (possibly 22) who will not only be able to have a merrier Christmas, but will be able to participate in the tradition of wrapping gifts, and knowing what is in store when their children hold a wrapped present with anticipation. (Gift wrap is included in the pick-up.)
Jachera calls this one of the more meaningful aspect of the project. “We want parents to experience the dignity and joy of being the ones to wrap the presents, place them under the tree, and create the magic of Christmas in their own homes,” she said. “It gives them the priceless opportunity to tell their children, ‘Santa came’ and to watch their faces light up with wonder as they discover the gifts they wished for.”
Jachera said she was involved with a similar program through the Philadelphia Bar Association, but she could not find a comparable program when she moved to Princeton, so she started one. “There was an untapped need in Princeton,” she said. The program by its nature includes immigrant families without specifically seeking them out, she explained, which is gratifying to Jachera, whose husband came to the U.S. at 4 years old from Cuba with no money, no English-speaking skills, and one suitcase of clothes for his entire family, she said. “They survived, and built their lives because of the kindness of family, friends and even strangers,” she said. “That experience has shaped my heart for this work.”
Jachera started an Adopt-a-Family program in 2000. “The heart of the program was simple, but powerful” she said of the process of “adopting” an entire family for the holidays. In this way, she added, a family’s needs can be individually met. Families’ wish lists have ranged from twin beds to furniture, to winter clothing, to games, bicycles and more typical gifts.
Originally, she contacted the YWCA, but was told it would take time to launch such a program. A director at the time said that if she could identify families, Jachera could find the donors. She approached local law firms and within weeks had secured sponsors for 25 families. “That first year, the generosity exceeded anything I could have imagined — piles of gifts, bicycles stacked everywhere, thawing turkeys on the floor, and boxes of canned goods. It was overwhelming in the best way.”
The project soon shifted from collecting food. Now families receive a $100 gift certificate to a local supermarket — and they can prepare meals reflecting their own traditions.
The families in need are selected by the administrators of the Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center at the Y.
The program was renamed when Jachera’s nephew Nicholas died in a car accident at age 16, and they named the program for him. She called it “a way to honor him every single year.”
Some of the original donors are still with the program after 25 years. The Princeton University community has been involved, and an event supporting the program was held on December 5 — for which
local retailer jaZams offered a discount to those purchasing a toy for the St. Nicholas Project. Many University
departments “adopt” families through the program, said Jachera.
To what does she attribute the longevity of the program? “Many people have turned it into their own family tradition,” she said. “People really love it. Some attend on the pick-up day and see what else they can do.”
Those interested in learning more about how to get involved can contact Jill Jachera at jill.jachera@gmail.com. There are still ways to make contributions to the St. Nicholas Project, such as covering pre-school tuition for the winter months for the family of a seasonal worker, and other means.
“It is a profound joy to watch families begin their own journey toward the American dream,” said Jachera. “When they come to collect their gifts, many are overwhelmed by the generosity of the people they have never met — people who warmly welcome them into the community and try to ease their burden. Being part of that moment is truly an honor.”