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Swa Dit and granddaughter Habay Dar happily receive their $50 grocery gift card from Garfield Elementary School Principal Doug White. The family recently emigrated to the United States from Burma. Dit’s brother was recently killed in an automobile accident, drastically cutting the family’s income. He gleefully shook hands with everyone in the Garfield office, thanking them profusely for their generosity. Michael Bushnell

By Michael Bushnell
Northeast News
December 21, 2011

Teachers and staff at Garfield Elementary School knew they were out there, they just didn’t know where. Families and individuals who slipped through society’s cracks, off the radar screens of most social service agencies who assist in bringing Christmas to even the poorest of families. Families who’s breadwinner was recently incarcerated. Large families with only a small, single income. Families who have just suffered the loss of a loved one. They’re out there, but where.

But find them they did, and for nine of these Northeast families, Garfield Elementary teachers and staff made the traditional Christmas dinner a little easier this year – regardless of what tradition is followed.

“This is a tough time of year for a lot of area families,” said Doug White, principal at Garfield. “We wanted to make Christmas a little easier with these grocery gift cards.”

White and his staff raised over $450 to purchase $50 grocery gift cards at Northeast Price Chopper and Apple Market grocery stores. Recipient families were notified this week and came to Garfield on Wednesday morning to pick up their gift cards.