My View | By Jack Clarke
This article was originally published in the November 17th, 2025 edition of the Gloucester Daily Times and re-shared with permission from its author.
When I was 4 years old, all I wanted for Christmas was a little bag of green plastic army men.
When I woke up Christmas morning, by the tree was a bright red wagon, and assorted small toys.
Much to my parent’s amazement, and disappointment, I cried for there was no little bag of green plastic army men.
The next morning, my mother asked me to join her on the sidewalk across the street from our house on the little dead end in Chelsea.
Up against it was a ladder and my father on the roof. He reached one arm into the chimney, pulled out a little bag of green plastic army men, tossed it down to me and cried out, “They must have fallen out of Santa’s bag!”
To many kids and their families this holiday season there will be disappointment and amazement. Our job is to alleviate that disappointment and provide the amazement for the kids and others on Cape Ann who are in want.
Here’s how to do so.
Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund. Pathways for Children is again partnering with Action, Inc. and Wellspring House for their annual toy drive. The effort supports more than 1,250 children on Cape Ann. Express your kindness by dropping unwrapped gifts in conveniently located boxes throughout city or donate generously to capeannkids.org.
Beauport Hotel’s Pack the Bus Toy Drive is back again as they urge everyone to come by with a new unwrapped toy for the Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund. Drop it off at the hotel, 55 Commercial St., through Dec. 1.
Gloucester Police Community Impact Unit Toy Drive has a high demand for assistance so please help by donating new toys for kids, and gift cards for teens from 4-8 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Gloucester Elks, 97 Atlantic Road, on the Back Shore. And Santa, of course, will be there. This year, the Elks are partnering with Senator Tarr’s toy drive as shown next.
Senator Bruce Tarr’s Holiday Toy Drive is back collecting toys, gift cards and monetary donations for local families. Among a variety of North Shore locations with Santa and much entertainment, you can drop off your gift at the Cape Ann Savings Bank, 109 Main St., in Gloucester on Friday, Dec. 5, from 4-5 p.m.
Cape Ann DCF Holiday Gift Drive. Over the past five years, this drive has offered almost a thousand holiday toys and clothes to kids in state care. Don’t let them be forgotten. Drop gifts off at Cape Ann Lanes, 53 Gloucester Ave., or Toodeloos, 142 Main St.
Cape Ann YMCA, 7 Gloucester Crossing Road, encourages you to swing by and grab a paper decoration off the giving tree. It will have a written gift request so you can shop nearby for an item and return it to the Y.
The Open Door, as always, is hosting a holiday table set for all in need — no questions asked. From Holiday Meal Baskets to food pantries, Mobile Markets and Community Meals — this sacred and amazing place ensures that local families can prepare a holiday meal at home with their own traditions or eat a healthy ready-made meal from their kitchen. To donate or order a Holiday Meal Basket go to FOODPANTRY.org.
The Grace Center welcomes seasonal gifts of men’s and women’s hats, gloves, and hand warmers. See them at their downtown location at 264 Main St., Gloucester.
Together Gloucester’s Operation Keep Gloucester Warm holds its annual community coats and winter distribution day for those in-need Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Trinity Congregational Church, 70 Middle St., Gloucester. It is now in its third year keeping local infants, children, teens and adults warm all season long. Coats and winter gear canbe donated at 40 bins across Gloucester and Rockport. The Open Door will also be available with food packages.
Better Together for Cape Ann is partnering with a local nursing home so you can adopt one of 60 elders that have no family in the area. No one should be left without gift; find them on Facebook and link to their Amazon wish list by Dec. 1.
Together Gloucester’s Hope for the Holidays provides an identified population of aging Gloucester and Rockport at-risk neighbors with a grocery gift card to nourish the body and soul. Donations can be made by check to Together Gloucester Inc., P.O. Box 6012, Gloucester, MA 01930; or via Venmo @together-gloucester.
Capt. Lester S. Wass American Legion Post 3 home holiday dinner deliveries is looking for volunteer cooks, servers, and drivers. To help or request a meal call 351-217-8010. You can also donate money, not food, to American Legion Post 3, P.O. Box 122, Gloucester, MA 01930.
The Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program is collecting new, unwrapped toys at Brookline Bank, 201 Main St., in the Walgreens Plaza. You can also donate at toysfortotsma.org/donations.
The Salvation Army bell ringers make it easy to drop a few dollars into their buckets on your way in and out of Market Basket, 101 Gloucester Crossing Road. They could also use a few more bell ringers so call Gina or Sandra at The Gloucester House, 978-283-1812.
The Gloucester Fraternity Club and Ladies Auxiliary are together sponsoring a free pancake breakfast and a visit with Santa on Dec. 7 from 9-11 a.m. at the Fraternity Club, 27 Webster Ave.. Donations are also accepted.
Many local houses of worship also have opportunities for giving. Check the weekly listings in this newspaper.
Jack Clarke is a Gloucester resident and frequent contributor to the Gloucester Daily Times.