A Hope For the Holidays donation. (Photo: Ty Bellitti)

For the 13th year, Hope For the Holidays has given out financial support to 35 families based on referrals from Cambridge schools, the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Hildebrand Family Self Help and other organizations. The event started with the Galluccio family and Centro Latino of Cambridge and Chelsea and has been partnering with St. Paul AME Church in The Port for the past four years.

“We are blessed. Cambridge is such a generous community, ” said Ellis Washington, senior pastor at St. Paul. “Working with Anthony, his sister Lissa and his mom is quite an experience. This year we have given out almost $15,000 in direct support that allows families to purchase what they need. It’s a very organic, community-based, low-key effort that reminds us what matters over the holidays.”

It started when I was a board member of Centro and my sister Lissa was a school liaison. We just wanted to help – and our mom, Nancy Galluccio, is always all in. Over 13 years, we have raised and donated almost $100,000 in gifts to families. The best part is meeting the families and the volunteer effort.

We have been “on the road” delivering the past two years, but hope to be back with Santa at the Christian Life Center inside next year. Below are pictures of our volunteers, including acting police commissioner Christine Elow, who helped deliver gifts to homes and to the families at the Hildebrand Family self help center families.

More images from Hope For the Holidays’ work this year. (Photos: Ty Bellitti)