HILLTOWNS — An annual Christmas program serving Hilltown families in need is celebrating its 17th year.
"We enjoy doing the program," said Lieutenant Michael Monteleone with the Albany County Sheriff’s Department.

The program is a cooperative effort between the sheriff’s department and the Hilltowns Community Resource Center that provides families in need with donated toys, food, and clothing.

On Wednesday, Dec. 12, the sheriff’s department will host its annual party at the Hilltown Senior Center in Berne. Parents will choose among donated toys while children are entertained by Santa’s helpers.

Monteleone said the program began with seven or eight families and has grown to serve 70 families.

The week of Dec. 17, the sheriff’s department will deliver gifts to about a dozen families in New Scotland.

Non-perishable food items, new unwrapped toys, and money donations may be donated at the sheriff’s department satellite station on Martin Road in New Scotland.

Other drop-box locations are at Westerlo Town Hall, Hannay Reels in Westerlo, Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, Kohl’s Department Store in Colonie, Emma Cleary’s Café in New Scotland, the Hannaford supermarket in Voorheesville, Countryside Mart and Helderberg True Value in East Berne, P & L Deli II in Berne, and The Altamont Enterprise and the library in Altamont.

Donations that are not distributed this year will be kept at the sheriff’s patrol station for the following year, said Monteleone. Monetary donations are used for gift certificates, he said, which can be spent on groceries, not alcohol or tobacco.

Monteleone applauded Kathaleen Taylor with the sheriff’s department, the coordinator of the program. Taylor, he said, devotes a lot of her own time, goes above and beyond, and is the backbone of the program.
He called the Hilltown Christmas Program "worthwhile," and said the sheriff’s department will continue the program into the future.

Donations are to be made by Dec. 21. For more information, contact Kathaleen Taylor at 655-7811 or at [email protected].