Helping Others Together, a West Valley nonprofit, is getting ready to brighten the holidays for kids and families in need.

The organization that serves Litchfield Park, Sun City, Surprise, Peoria, El Mirage, Goodyear, Buckeye, Avondale, Glendale, and Sun City West has been preparing for a special holiday for 273 children and their families.

For weeks HOT volunteers have been shopping, gathering, tagging, sorting, and wrapping more than 3,800 gifts for the selected children. Each child will receive a holiday outfit, shoes, pajamas, clothing essentials like socks, T-shirts and underwear, five daily wear outfits, a coat, two personalized toys, a stuffed stocking, and a family game.

The families also receive a grocery gift card, plus a Christmas Eve gift basket with food, candy and other holiday treats, party activities, and everything to complete a Christmas Eve dinner.

Gift presentation sessions for each family are scheduled between Dec. 2-10.

Money is raised for this program through events such as HOT’s signature fundraiser, the Diamonds in the Rough golf tournament. The next one is scheduled for May 2 followed by a celebratory gathering on May 3 at the Verrado Golf Course, 4242 N. Golf Drive, in Buckeye.

Helping Others Together also accepts financial donations, sponsorships and grants collected from friends, neighbors, and business partners throughout the year.

Visit HOTCommunityFoundation.org or email info@HOTCommunityFoundation.org for more information on how to become a HOT volunteer or to provide financial support.

Helping Others Together Community Foundation was established as a registered 501(c)(3) Arizona nonprofit in 2019 with a mission to provide help and hope for struggling children and their families in the West Valley. HOT works with the 172 Title 1 elementary schools and other organizations in the West Valley to identify families most in need.

(Photo provided by Helping Others Together)