Rainbow Child Development Center in Worcester among stops for T&G Santa

WORCESTER — In just a few weeks, a trailer filled with toys will pull up to the Rainbow Child Development Center where Nancy Thibault and the other “rainbow elves” will get to work wrapping and preparing gifts for hundreds of kids this holiday.

And with nearly 400 kids receiving two gifts each, Thibault, the strategic communication and development manager, and the elves are looking to the T&G Santa Fund to help make some holiday wishes come true.

“Having the T&G gifts just really ensures that our children will have a very, very bright holiday,” Thibault said. “It just makes such a world of difference.”

Now in its 85th year, the T&G Santa Fund and partner United Way of Central Massachusetts turn monetary donations into gifts for children to unwrap on Christmas morning.

Thibault, who has worked at the Rainbow Child Development Center for 10 years, has been involved with the Santa Fund for about six or seven years.

The center provides programs and resources to low-income families in the city, including a preschool, child care and after-school programming.

Last year, she said, the organization had 261 children signed up for gifts. This year, the organization has 393.

“The pandemic truly has negatively impacted our families,” Thibault said. “Our parents are working full time. However, food costs have gone up, utilities and rent have gone up, and so they really struggle with this every year, and it continues.”

But because of the T&G Santa Fund, families involved organizations like Rainbow Child Development Center, won’t have to be as concerned with getting gifts for their kids.

Each child, ages 6 months to 13 years old, at the center will receive two age-appropriate gifts, Thibault said.

“They're all brand-new…they really are outstanding and different every year,” she said. “From scooters, to basketballs, to beautiful dolls, to games of all sorts.”

There is also a lot of thought put into which gifts are going to the children, with the organization getting information about the kids beforehand.

They will get information like the age range and the gender of the children to make sure the kids will enjoy the gift they get, and that it is age-appropriate for them.

And while the families are grateful for the gifts, Thibault said she is also grateful to the generosity of the people of Worcester who help make it possible.

“There's a lot of negativity in the world right now, and this is a bright spot,” she said. “We’re all in this together. We’re all doing our very best for the children.”

Since 1938, the T&G Santa Fund has helped ensure community agencies and organizations like Pernet Family Health Services are able to provide thousands of children presents to unwrap Christmas morning.

Rainbow Child Development Center is among the 20 organizations acting as T&G Santa’s helpers this year.

The others include Canterbury Elementary School; Catholic Charities Worcester County and Southbridge; Centro Inc.; the Department of Mental Health; Devereux Therapeutic Foster Care; Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health; Friendly House; Gardner CAC; Guild of St. Agnes; Jeremiah’s Inn; Pernet Family Health Service; Salvation Army of Fitchburg, Greater Milford, and Worcester; Spanish American Center; Winchendon CAC; Worcester Housing Authority-Great Brook Valley; and Yes We Care.

The T&G Santa Fund is currently accepting donations. To donate, go to telegram.com/santa.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Rainbow Child Development Center among stops for T&G Santa