As we welcome in the new year, the volunteers behind our News Sentinel Charities Empty Stocking Fund are looking back on 2023 with gratitude.

Thanks to your generous financial gifts, the loyal dedication of our corporate sponsors and the time donated by volunteers, we were able to buy, assemble and deliver 3,000 healthy food boxes to East Tennesseans in need. That’s quite a collective accomplishment and one we know brightens the holidays for thousands of people.

As we look way ahead to the 2024 holiday season, we hope to serve even more families, and that means starting now in setting our intentions. Our fundraising is a year-round effort and we’re asking those who didn’t get a chance to donate over the holidays to consider a gift in the first part of this new year.

It’s easy to set a recurring donation at esfknox.org. Your gift now helps us determine how best to serve families in the upcoming months.

Every penny goes to the effort because the Empty Stocking Fund does not have any overhead, paid employees or extraneous expenses. We’re 100% volunteer-run by caring community members who are determined to serve families each Christmas.

The economy is brighter with inflation stabilizing, so we’re working now to lay the groundwork to help more families. We’re proud to be the liaison between those who have funded the effort for over a century and those who count on us year after year.

If you’d prefer to mail a check, please address it to Empty Stocking Fund, 2332 News Sentinel Drive, Knoxville TN 37921.

Thank you and happy new year!

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Empty Stocking Fund donations help us serve East Tennessee families