CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — With only about two weeks until Christmas, Noelle Marx, founder of The Human Collective Foundation, is on a mission to help provide Christmas gifts and food for 300 kids.
“I need 20 hams. I need breakfast foods, lunch foods nonperishable foods. I need snacks that kids like,” Noelle Marx said. “I need people to adopt families. We need shoes of all sizes, clothes of all sizes, all age ranges.”
Last year her organization helped about 90 families in Clay County and this year has expanded to also help families in Duval County.
“We have a lot of families that are still seriously feeling the effects of COVID evictions. I have a mom that just told me today she was in a coma for most of the year. She's lost everything and she has four kids,” Marx said.
The biggest need right now she says is the community rising up to take care of the younger generation.
“That's what I need,” Marx said. “I need hands to wrap gifts. I need hands to deliver. I need it all.”
Simple items like hoodies and gift cards she says can mean the world to the children who will receive them.
“For these kids that’s huge, so we're doing everything from that to wish list to Christmas dinner to food,” Marx said. “These kids are out of school for two weeks. That's breakfast and lunch that they were receiving in school and they don't have that at home.”
Thanks to volunteers and a generous community she's hoping to change that.
“Every child deserves to have what my children have. I was a single mom. I understand working three jobs. I understand scraping together pennies,” Marx said. “I get it. And every child deserves to have dignity and hope for the holidays.”
The deadline to donate items is December 20, 2021. You can find a list of drop-off locations on The Human Collective Foundation’s website.