By STU CLAMPITT
Open Doors is a Westfield-based non-profit organization that has been working to help Washington Township residents through food and clothing assistance, referral to community services, and spiritual guidance since 1990. This holiday season, they could use your help to bring Christmas to families in need.
The Reporter spoke to Open Doors Christmas Toy Coordinator LeAnne Zentz about the organization’s work throughout the year and how you can help them play Santa this month.
“Open Doors is primarily a food pantry,” Zentz told The Reporter. “We also take donations of gently used clothing, toys, and things like that, which are then given out to our clients’ families in need. Our support comes from businesses, churches, individuals and families in the Westfield area.”
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Open Doors provides several programs throughout the year, and during the holidays they provide Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, presents and clothes for kids.
“We get a gift for any child from a family that is with Open Doors who is birth through high school age,” Zentz said. “We ask the parents for any suggestions of what they would like. We do that up to a $25 value. We try to keep the gifts pretty equal in value, so everybody is giving something in a similar price range. Sometimes we do gift cards for some of the older kids who it is not so easy to shop for.”
Open Doors used to provide pajama sets and sweat suit sets on alternating years for kids, in addition to a toy for each child, but since COVID has created its own challenges, now families get a $25 gift card to purchase sweats or pajamas for their children.
According to Zentz, this year Open Doors will provide 520 gifts to kids in Westfield.
Each child also receives a $25 gift card for pajamas or sweats and the family receives a box of food for their Christmas Dinner. Food distribution and volunteer services are organized by Carrie Larrison. Amber Janes and Shawna Harouff coordinate the PJ/Sweats Gift Cards. LeAnne Zentz coordinates the toy donations for the kids.
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You can help provide Christmas to Westfield families in need in a few ways.
Zentz has created a signup page where you can see individual requests that have been filled as well as those still needed. With just a few clicks you can sign up to play the role of Santa’s helper at this link.
You can also donate directly to Open Doors online at opendoorswestfield.org.
And you can drop off donations at the following gift drop-off locations:
- Community First Bank: 707 E. State Road 32, Westfield (Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday)
- LeAnne Zentz: 958 Bright Beam Court, Westfield
- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty: 4630 Lisborn Drive, Carmel (Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday)
The deadline for drop-offs is Thursday, Dec. 9. All gifts and gift cards will be distributed to families on Saturday, Dec. 11.