NORTHAMPTON — Tucked away in a corner of the local pizza and spaghetti house on Market Street sits a small Christmas tree.
Decorated with lights and baubles, it is the ornaments in front of the tree that are the real attraction.
For decades now, Joe’s Cafe has produced their own ornaments for patrons to purchase and support the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund.
The fund, named after a former business manager at the Gazette, began in 1933 to help families in need during the Depression. Today, the fund distributes vouchers to families for each child from age 1 to 14.
Joe’s Cafe began its ornament tradition in 1982 after a young waitress and mother of young children perished in a house fire in Holyoke, according to restaurant owner Meaghan Sullivan.
“My dad and his partner at the time sold ornaments to raise money to buy Christmas gifts for her kids,” Sullivan said.
The tradition continued for five to six years, Sullivan said, until the children became too old for gifts, which is when the donations to the Toy Fund began.
“It’s obviously a great cause. I love the fact that all the money stays locally for the children in the area,” Sullivan said. “It’s really nice to have that connection with the customers, to see how excited they are to see the ornaments come out.”
Around 100 ornaments are ordered each year and are sold for a suggested $6 donation, according to Sullivan.
In January, the local eatery donated $523 made from the sale of ornaments during the 2015 holiday season.
This year’s ornaments are light blue and already around 10 have been sold.
“I’ve heard over the years so many stories about people that are really excited to add the new year to their collection because they have every single ornament year,” she said.
In addition to the annual ornament sale, the restaurant also hosts a Thanksgiving morning get together with appetizers at a suggested donation. All the money from that event also goes to the toy fund.
This year, the event raised $420 from the “loyal customers of Joe’s Cafe on Thanksgiving morning.”
The Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund provides certificates redeemable at participating local retailers to eligible families who can use them to buy holiday gifts at participating stores through Dec. 31.
Eligible families must live in any Hampshire County community except Ware, or in the southern Franklin County towns of Deerfield, Sunderland, Whately, Shutesbury and Leverett.
Berkshire Children and Families at 220 Russell St., Hadley, verifies families’ eligibility and the Gazette covers costs associated with the drive, freeing all donations to fund the vouchers. Most families who receive assistance are referred by social service agencies.
The following stores are participating this year: A2Z Science and Learning Store, 57 King St., Northampton; Deals & Steals, 1 Pearl St., Northampton; Faces, 175 Main St., Northampton; F.J. Rogers, 3 Main St., Florence; JCPenney, 341 Russell St., Hadley; The Toy Box, 201 N. Pleasant St., Amherst; Wilson’s Dept. Store, 258 Main St., Greenfield; and Target, 367 Russell St., Hadley.
Donations to the Toy Fund may be dropped off at or mailed to the Daily Hampshire Gazette at 115 Conz St. in Northampton, 01060, or made through Gazettenet at toyfund.gazettenet.com.
Checks should be made payable to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com