'Network of angels' delivers donated gifts, food to Long Island families

Dressed in Santa Claus' robe, belt and hat, Jean Marie Noonan delivered a collection of about 100 gifts to the children gathered in the living room of a Huntington Station home on Monday.

There was a lot to love in the Christmas loot: Mr. Potato Head, a Paw Patrol vehicle, plastic fruit toys and many more treats.

Her husband, Jeffery Elliott, walked in with two frozen turkeys. After taking in the merriment, they planned a quick exit.

"We don't want to overstay our welcome," Noonan said as she handed out the presents.

Noonan and Elliott, parishioners at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport, are among a "network of angels" that spends Christmas morning, and the days leading up to it, presenting donated gifts to families, seniors and others in the spirit of the holiday, she said. Catholic Charities of Long Island, which serves 2 million Long Islanders, supports the initiative as part of its parish social ministry development efforts.

Through the church's holiday program, families can "adopt" other families to whom they can deliver gifts, food baskets and cards. This year, 140 families were adopted for the initiative.

Noonan says she and her husband are a "small piece" of it, with hundreds of others purchasing and wrapping the gifts and making the cards.  

"We were looking to have a little bit more meaning in our Christmas," Noonan said. "It just totally transforms Christmas. It gets it away from the stores and puts it back to doing good things for people."

Glenda Escoto, whose family welcomed the Santa stop, said it was a way for her children and their cousins to celebrate the holiday.

"You can see the faces. They're so excited," she said after Noonan and Elliott dropped off the presents. "Every year we get more gifts, more surprises."

Escoto, who has rheumatoid arthritis and suffers chronic pain, said she appreciates the gesture of the church and its congregants. 

"For me, Christmas means family; it means health," she said. "Being here and not having pain today is the best thing to ever happen for me."

Catholic Charities assists Long Islanders in need, including veterans, immigrants and seniors. The organization also provides professional treatment for those suffering from addiction and behavioral health disorders.

Their efforts extend to providing Meals on Wheels to seniors and praying with those being treated for addiction. They provide food and gifts to 150 adults in group homes living with developmental disabilities, said Danielle Campbell, Catholic Charities of Long Island's director of development and communications.

"Besides providing professional health, we also provide faith; we provide hope — what many places don't," Campbell said. "We're able to provide them with that little spiritual prayer, that faith, that hope. On Christmas Day especially, it's so meaningful to be caring for our Long Island community."

She added, "We live the life that Jesus has called us to live, which is to love one another."

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.