United Way of Greenville County’s Project Joy initiative is looking for volunteers to make spirits bright this holiday season for Greenville County families in need.

Sponsored in part by Forge Search and United Bank, Project Joy seeks to alleviate some of the burden of the holiday season by fulfilling wish lists of essential needs like clothes, shoes and personal care items for local families. While most holiday programs focus on younger children, Project Joy specifically responds to the unmet needs of older students and their families.

So far, more than 100 volunteers have signed up through United Way’s volunteer portal to support families identified for the program by Greenville County Schools’ social work department. As of Wednesday, Nov. 4, approximately 60 families were still awaiting selection.

Individuals, families and other groups are encouraged to sign up now and select a family to support at unitedwaygc.org/project-joy, where full instructions and the project timeline are available, as well as a link to donate directly to the project. To ensure delivery to families ahead of Greenville County Schools’ winter break, all wrapped gifts are due to be dropped off at United Way between Nov. 18-20.

“The holiday can be a difficult time for many, especially for the many families in our community who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Meghan Barp, president and CEO of United Way of Greenville County. “Project Joy is a great opportunity for the community to spread some cheer during the holiday season and make a very real, and very personal impact for our families.”

Click here to learn more and get started.