Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital staff along with William S. Hart Union High School District faculty collected holiday gift donations Friday, which are set to benefit underprivileged Henry Mayo patients and Hart District families.

Hospital and school district administrators designed the program to “lift the spirits of the needy,” according to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital officials.

Many donors lined up at the Henry Mayo Center in Valencia to make a donation, leading hospital volunteers to arrange the wrapped presents on tables sectioned off by hospital departments.

Bright festive gift wrapping in arrays of patterns, themes and colors canvassed the table tops, putting the organization’s generosity into perspective.

One by one, departments within Henry Mayo arrived with carts and bags loaded with donated gifts from hospital personnel.

The program was founded in 2015 by Elizabeth Tarantini, a prenatal social worker at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, along with another hospital coordinator.

“Two years ago we started with three families that were in need,” said Tarantini. “Last year we provided to over 30 families and this year we have a record of 37 families. We have a partnership with the Hart District for families that are in need as well.”

When the two organizations first paired up, social workers helped staff identify which families were in most need for the holidays.

Families then jotted down their needs and submitted them to donation administrators who relayed the lists to donors.

“Once we identify a family we asked them if they want to participate in the program,” said Tarantini. “Some of the things that they needed, for the most part, have been really basic needs like coats, boots, a heater, and of course when it comes to children we can’t forget the toys.”

Families are matched up with hospital departments based on size and need, according to hospital staff.

One family’s big Christmas wish was to go to Disneyland together, which was fulfilled by a generous donation of park passes to the Magic Kingdom.

Nahla Hennawy, with the Finance Department of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, challenged hospital staff to see which department had the biggest heart.

“Last year we had around 30 families so what we try to do is make it a competition throughout the department,” said Hennawy. “We had all the departments participate and this year we have a record of 37 families.

Nancy Phillips, Elizabeth Orozco and Eileen Parvaiz, school social workers with the Hart District, were amazed at the number of gifts that were donated.

“It’s amazing the feeling that families give when they talk to you on the phone to share their wish list, it’s indescribable,” according to Philips.

In addition to the gift donations, Arroyo Seco Junior High School ASB, within the Hart District, conducted a food drive and collected two carloads of bags filled with non-perishables.

The district accepts donations year round to help out the community with basic needs.

For more information about the holiday gift drive, click here.

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