A Palmerton junior high football coach and his family are running their second annual gift drive benefiting children or young adults in the foster care system.

Junior Ortiz, who was in the foster care system himself as a child, said the cause will always be close to his heart.

“Even when a child is placed with a great family, as I eventually was, the entire experience is traumatic beyond words,” Ortiz said. “To have this one piece of normal life, a Christmas gift on Christmas morning, can help these children not feel quite so lost. These gifts can also help families who have been recently reunited start to heal and make new memories.”

Individuals can sign up using the form at https://forms.gle/88RwTadMrkJ2MDzD7, choose a child listed to sponsor, and see the gift to buy for that child. Gift buyers may choose to fulfill one or more than one request, but are asked to not wrap the gift.

Drop-off locations recently opened at the front entrance to ARM Lawyers, 202 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071, and the Palmerton Area School District weight room, located under the bleachers at Bomber Stadium, 3525 Fireline Road, Palmerton, PA 18071. The weight room drop-off will be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

If anyone chooses to order online and would like to ship directly to Ortiz or has purchased a gift that is too large to fit into the drop-off boxes, email familyholidaygiftdrive@gmail.com for more information.

The deadline for a gift drop-off, to ensure delivery in time, is Dec. 8.

Last year, the Ortiz family said, hundreds of gifts were purchased during the gift drive.

“I’m the kind of guy who will rarely, if ever, ask for anything from those around me for myself, but I will absolutely ask for others,” Ortiz said. “It’s been a rough few years and I’m hoping that together we can make it a little easier for some of those in our greater community who could really use some holiday cheer.”