Operation Holiday is a program started in 1991 to provide food and gift cards for Pottstown area families who are struggling financially. It was originally started by employees of The Mercury but expanded in 2019 to include areas served by community newspapers in Berks, Montgomery and Chester counties including Reading Eagle, The Reporter, The Times Herald, Daily Local News, and Montgomery and Main Line newspapers. The mission is to ensure that all children of the region have food and gifts for the December holiday season. In response to continuing food insecurity in our region, the program has also expanded to donate funds to area food pantries. The program is solely funded by reader donations and is managed by MediaNews Group employees as volunteers in a nonprofit foundation. All referrals and distributions are in partnership with schools, churches and nonprofit agencies. All funds collected are distributed locally in December and January, providing food and gift cards to families for the holidays and funds to food pantries to combat local hunger.