Tuscarawas County, Ohio - Individuals and families experiencing financial hardship will have an opportunity to apply for holiday help during signups for this year’s Share-A-Christmas program.

Since 1975, the Tuscarawas County Council for Church & Community (T-4-C) has partnered with the county department of Job and Family Services to provide individuals and families going through hard times with the means for a brighter Christmas.

Signups and interviewing for this year’s program will be held next week at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in New Philadelphia and will follow a schedule based on the first letter of the applicant’s last name. For individuals whose last names begin with the letters A through E, signups will be Monday, November 5th. Signups will be Tuesday for applicants whose last names begin with the letters F through K, Wednesday for letters L through O, Thursday for letters P through T, and Friday for letters U through Z. Signups for each day will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Make-up days are Monday and Wednesday for anyone unable to come on their assigned day. The church is located at 202 East High Avenue in New Philadelphia.

In addition, there will also be a special interviewing session for non-English speaking Hispanic clients this Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the St. Joseph Family Life Center in Dover at 613 N. Tuscarawas Ave. in Dover. Interpreters will also be available on a limited basis on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning during signup week.

Approved applicants will receive a box of food for the holidays, a clothing voucher to Walmart, and toys for children ages 12 and under.

Interviewing is for one week only, and no late registrations will be accepted. Letters will be mailed out to approved applicants by December 1.

T4C Executive Director Louise Worsham says the program is not limited to families but is open to anyone whose income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.  

“It does not have to be a family and they don’t have to have children,” she says. “We get more and more elderly people every year and some of them really, really depend on that.” 

For questions, contact T4C at 330-343-6012.

STACEY CARMANY, TUSCO TV