CRANBERRY TWP — A nonprofit organization started by three township women aims to help more than 500 children in need this holiday season.

Neighbors for Neighbors provides presents to children throughout the area who otherwise may not have had much under the tree at Christmas, said Amy Roy, one of the founders of the group.

Roy, Dani Jo McLane and Jeanette Valentine founded the nonprofit several years ago, to help area children — although their work started years before that in Pittsburgh. Along with Roy's sister-in-law, Kelley Kairys, and her daughter, Chloe Roy, the women collect, purchase and organize gifts for hundreds of children and teenagers.

The group works with school districts to discreetly identify children in need. At Seneca Valley, communications director Linda Andreassi asks building principals and guidance counselors to help identify the students. They then work with the parents to create a short wish list of items for the students.

Roy said they began several years ago by helping children in and around Pittsburgh, when she found out the number of children in need in her own school district. At Seneca Valley, 17 percent of the K-to-12 student population qualify for free and reduced meals, Andreassi said.

This year the group will help 156 students in the district, Andreassi said.

“I can't describe for you how important Neighbors for Neighbors' work is for our students and families,” she said. “I've had parents cry during gift pick up and others have been brought to their knees at the generosity of this group. Neighbors for Neighbors and their kindness define the spirit of the season.”

The focus was initially on Seneca Valley, but as community support for their group grew they began helping students in other schools and organizations. They're also working with Mars, Pine-Richland, Central Valley, Hopewell and Three Rivers Youth, Roy said.

Last year they helped more than 400 students regionally. This year Roy said they're on track to exceed 500.

Once the wish lists are compiled, people can help by sponsoring a wish list, purchasing items from one of the lists or donating cash. Wish list trees were put up at 12 area businesses for people to find items to purchase.

This year Passavant Hospital Foundation donated to the group and employees at PPG Architectural Coatings in Cranberry hosted a wish list tree. Roy said local sports teams and Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops have also helped out as well.

Roy said children, of course, ask for toys in their wish lists. But many also ask for necessities like toiletries, backpacks, school supplies and jackets.

“A lot of them request basic needs,” she said. “We also have a lot of children ask selflessly for gifts for their parents or grandparents.”

Once the gifts are collected and purchased, they are delivered to the schools where the families pick them up. The donors and recipients never meet, but the group sometimes receives thank you notes from the recipients. Some of them can be viewed on the website at n4npgh.org.

Roy said knowing she is directly helping those in her community makes it all worth it.

“The reason I do it is I know this makes a direct impact on the people we help,” she said. “I know a lot of kids, without it wouldn't have much if anything for Christmas.”