Each December, Handi-Crafters asks its sponsors and local businesses to help show the Thorndale-based nonprofit’s clients and workers how much the organization appreciates them with a gifted Handi-Crafters t-shirt.

Anticipation for the t-shirts builds throughout the months leading up to December, as clients, workers, and staff look forward to them every year.

Unfortunately, the last year has been anything but routine, and Handi-Crafters mandated a temporary shutdown due to the high COVID-19 rates in Chester County in early December. With sponsors already committed and the shirts already on their way, it looked as though the annual holiday gift would need to wait just a little longer.

The shirts sat in an empty conference room, sorted by size and awaiting distribution.

As the new year began and Chester County experienced a significant decline in COVID-19 cases, Handi-Crafters was permitted to re-open the first week of February.

“Despite being buried in snow for the beginning of our return-to-work week, our Wednesday was bright, sunny, and alive with the faces of our clients, workers, and staff,” said Elizabeth Stentzel, Marketing and Development Coordinator at Handi-Crafters.

A few days later, each workshop had a socially distant, pizza lunch where clients and workers finally received their Handi-Holiday shirts.

“Handi-Crafters wants to thank every sponsor for contributing to this tradition,” said Stentzel. “Each year, our community members, family, and friends step up and make projects like this possible. The Handi-Holiday shirts are an important part of the year at Handi-Crafter’s, and it is never possible without the generosity of our donors. Thank you to our sponsors AssetVue, Bentley Systems, Bob Wagner’s Flooring America, Compass Point, Crazy Aaron’s, Eastern Lift Truck, Herr’s, Lubker Distribution, New Heritage Properties, MacElree Harvey, The Protection Bureau, QFix, Sullivan Marketing Group, Denny Howell and Associates, Rick and Jean Ross, Ken and Cindy Kametz, and Mark and Angela Alderfer.”

Click here to learn more about Handi-Crafters.