It was a very merry Christmas this year for nearly 600 children and adults from throughout the Lehigh Valley who, thanks to Project Hope of Easton, enjoyed a traditional turkey and ham dinner with all the trimmings, and took home gifts of coats and other warm clothing, along with bags of packaged food for families to have another holiday meal.

The day was even more special for the 300 children who came with their families. Each received an individually wrapped toy, several books, a stuffed animal and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus. All the children took home a keepsake photo of themselves with the jolly visitor from the North Pole.

Now in its 31st year, Project Hope began simply as a gesture of a woman who thought her children didn’t appreciate the gifts they received for Christmas, so she made them give two of their presents to needy children in the community. From there it grew to providing home-cooked meals for 20-25 families, and finally into becoming a tax-exempt charity with a nine-member board of directors.

For the last several years, attendance has reached near capacity for each of the two dinner seatings at Our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Church, according to Dr. Stanley Walker, whose wife Judy co-chairs the effort. That’s good news, Walker said, because there has been a real effort every year to reach those in need through the various organizations that provide community services.

Planning for the event begins six months in advance, but the Walkers collect toys all year long, hunting for after-Christmas bargains, and persuading merchants to donate or deeply discount their merchandise. They spend up to $15 per toy, but the real value of each ranges from $20 to $50. The Walkers’ basement resembles Santa’s workshop, with dolls and trucks and board games stuffed into huge boxes. Every age- and gender-specific child’s gift is wrapped on the Walker’s dining room table by a handful of volunteer “elves.”

It takes 75 of Santa’s helpers to wrap, cook, serve, set up and clean. Retired caterer Toni Sterner has served for years as Project Hope’s volunteer chief chef. She is responsible for preparing ham, turkey breast and six other dishes – all without knowing exactly how many guests are coming to dinner.

Judy Walker said Project Hope could not succeed without the generosity of its many sponsors, including the Wawa Foundation, Coordinated Health, St. Luke’s University Health Network and Guardian Insurance.

“They help put the food on the table and pay for toys,” Walker said.

ShopRite also contributed $500 worth of cookies and brownies for dessert, and boxes of candy were sent from Just Born and Josh Early. Dr. Gary Costacurta and his wife Candy decorated the festive dining tables again this year – this time with 60 large poinsettia plants.

Some of the adult clothing items were collected from barrels set up for the first time this year at Palmer Mall, Boscov’s and State Theatre. PA Foot and Ankle Associates provided 100 packages of socks, and parents from Tracy ES in Palmer Township collected bags of youth clothing. Books were donated by the Cops ‘n’ Kids program.