The Village Bank will once again partner with the city of Newton Department of Health and Human Services for the annual Holiday Gift Drive, with the goal of brightening the upcoming holidays for deserving Newton families.
Donations of gift certificates and new, unwrapped gifts for children ages newborn to 10 will be accepted from November 17th through December 12th.
The Village Bank's Newton offices in Auburndale, Newtonville, Nonantum, Newton Highlands and Waban will serve as Holiday Gift Drive collection sites. Donations may also be made at the mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada St.
Suggested gifts include age-appropriate books, CDs, movies, clothing, sporting goods and toys. The donation of gift certificates from local merchants, purchased to help local families in need, will also benefit businesses in the community.
Last year's Holiday Gift Drive benefited 180 local families, according to the city's community social worker, Ana Gonzalez. Thanks to the generosity of local donors, every family who applied was provided with age- and gender-appropriate gifts, including toys and food and merchandise gift cards from local merchants.
"We are seeing new families every day," she said. "Low-income families, single parents, the newly unemployed, those on welfare and those whose situations have changed and who never imagined they would be asking for our help the numbers are increasing dramatically. We have people all around us who are struggling, but fortunately there are those like The Village Bank who will step up and help. Their support last year made all the difference, and we are delighted to partner with the bank again this year." said Gonzalez.

The Village Bank, chartered by the state in 1910, has six full-service offices in Newton and Wayland and a Village Loan Center in Auburndale. The Bank also offers online banking services at village-bank.com.

The Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and a member of the Share Insurance Fund (SIF). All deposits are insured in full.