A group of moms joined together for a special volunteer mission this holiday season.

The group, known as Lehigh Valley Moms on a Mission, hosted Operation Secret Santa Nov. 24. More than 60 families and individuals came to St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Coplay to donate items for local groups and organizations in need.

As some volunteers sorted and arranged donations, others wrapped gifts. Children decorated cupcakes and made crafts as Christmas music rang from the speakers.

The moms came up with a list of local families and organizations in desperate need this season and arranged this single event to benefit them. As a result, several area families received essential items and supplies, Christmas gifts, gift cards and other items. The moms posted Christmas lists from families in need which included many living essentials such as warm clothing, blankets and coats rather than toys.

Among the recipients was one local family of three children, all in separate foster homes, who have never celebrated Christmas or a birthday. Other recipient families were homeless and another included a single mother of three who is fighting colon cancer.

"Wherever and however we can help is our mission. We try to help as many people as we can with these very generous contributions. As long as everyone in need is getting a piece, that is all that matters," said Amy Pidgeon of Nazareth, a member of the Lehigh Valley Moms on a Mission group.

Northern Lehigh Food Bank in Slatington received several boxes of food donations from the event. The moms group also sent donations to Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley and the Community Services for Children/Head Start Program.

The group gave 19 bags of clothing and essentials to an organization known as Mary's Shelter, which serves young pregnant women in crisis. Group members also signed and sent Christmas cards to military personnel. Children attending the event decorated Christmas Ornaments to be given to a local assisted living facility. The youth also made bracelets for the Children's Pediatric Unit at the Lehigh Valley Hospital.

"Everyone's needs are different. We want to make what we do as personal and as connected to the Lehigh Valley as possible," said moms member Melissa Hudak, a Coplay resident and St. Peter's parishioner.

The Lehigh Valley Moms on a Mission first came together after Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Pidgeon and Hudak, along with moms Colleen Satkowski of Coplay and Michelle Khouri, Tricia Jones and Michelle Musselman, all of Whitehall, were posting notices on their personal social media pages asking how they could help. They connected with each other through, pooled resources and organized a community drive at Hudak's house. Within hours, her house was filled with donations.

Khouri developed a Facebook page called "Reach the Beach from LV/PA" which kept people updated on their progress and outstanding needs.

The group of moms managed to collect seven truckloads of items, including everything from food to blankets and clothing to other essentials. They set out Nov. 10 on I-78 to deliver the goods to four different locations in New Jersey.

"The entire experience was a very overwhelming and emotional one for all of us, but something we will never forget," said Hudak. "We all realized that we all work really well together and need to continue our mission of giving back and helping people in need."

This is the first year for Operation Secret Santa and group members hope to make it an annual event.

More information on the group and its efforts can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/LvMomsOnAMission?ref=hl.

"We are not a non-profit, we are not a community organization, we are simply Lehigh Valley Moms on a Mission. We are a group of women who came together because we are motivated in pursuing the common interest of helping others. We believe we can help make our community a better place to live by serving together as a team and committing to aiding others who are less fortunate than ourselves," said Hudak.