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Woman’s Club carries on with toy fund tradition Sidney F. Smith, ca. 1962 GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Published: 12/21/2020 1:49:17 PM SOUTHAMPTON — For almost three decades, the Southampton Woman’s Club has made an annual donation to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund. “I’ve been a member of the Woman’s Club for 28 years, and I think we’ve done it every year,” said Sue Kozub, a member of the club’s board of directors. “It’s right in the budget.” The Southampton Woman’s Club, founded in 1917 as the Home Economics Club, engages in various charities and acts of service, including ann...

Modified: 12/18/2020 1:01:44 PM NORTHAMPTON — In 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, unemployment across the country hit a staggering 25%, a mark that would come to symbolize just how bad joblessness could get in a capitalist economy. This May, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the unemployment rate was around 16%, according to a federal estimate. Most states hit historical highs in unemployment this spring, including Massachusetts, which suffered a 17.7% unemployment rate in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although those numbers have improved, the country is likel...

Amherst boy, 11, donates birthday money to toy fund  Oscar Reich, 11, of Amherst CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Published: 12/16/2020 12:35:57 PM Oscar Reich loves Christmas. The 11-year-old from Amherst loves the holiday season and he loves presents. He recognizes that not everyone is as lucky as he is to get presents. So he did something about it. Oscar donated $30 to the Sydney F. Smith Toy Fund in early December after reading about it in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. He said he felt compelled. “I wanted some other people to have the joy of getting presents,” Reich said. “I felt proud. I also fel...

Hatfield Book Club hits 50-year mark with toy fund donations Sidney F. Smith, ca. 1962. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL CONNORS HATFIELD — For the Hatfield Book Club, reading is only a small part of its membership. Since its establishment in 1904, the club has made itself known as a civic organization focused on philanthropy within the town. And while the club boasts that its biggest fundraiser for Hatfield and its schools comes through its annual Holiday Craft Fair, the club and its members have also quietly been making donations since 1970 to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund, according to Betsy...

Donations honor Hatfield man’s ‘spirit of generosity’ Mark Neal, who died at the age of 60 in 2014, was humble about his charitable acts. After his passing, his family learned more about his yearly donations to the Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMALIA FOURHAWKS Mark Neal is seen at Amalia and Leonard FourHawks’ wedding in 1985. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMALIA FOURHAWKS Published: 12/14/2020 1:45:06 PM NORTHAMPTON – Amalia FourHawks hadn’t seen her 85-year-old husband Leonard FourHawks for more than nine months since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. Speaking thro...