Community members donate holiday presents for recipients of 'Grands Stepping Up'

HAVERTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- This local nonprofit supports all those "Grands Stepping Up" in their families.

"We assist grand and kinship caregivers that are caring for their grandchildren or their nieces and nephews because the parents are not available to do so," said Founder & President of Grands Stepping Up, Karen Barnes.

This was the case for Barnes who had assumed the guardian role for her granddaughter.

"I had met a plethora of people along the way and realized that we were all suffering or in commonality with one another. And I just wanted to do something to be a conduit of change and to support them," said Barnes.

The nonprofit has their own resource center known as "Denis' Pantry," named after Barnes' brother who passed away.

"At the Bethany Church in Havertown...we distribute food, toiletries, paper products, baby items, the second and fourth Saturday of every month year round," said Barnes.

This holiday season, the organization has selected both grandparent guardian households, and also any other families in need as recipients for their holiday gift drive.

"Our biggest accomplishment is hope...giving people, families, children, hope that they're not alone and that they are going to be okay," said Barnes.

For more information, check out the video above.

Also, check out their website.