‘Tis the season for giving and receiving. While the holidays are a time to celebrate the blessings in our lives, so many of our neighbors go without. Here are some ways you can brighten a child or family’s life for Christmas.
Santa’s Elves of Denver. Are you looking for a way to be Elfish this holiday season? Kids Giving to Kids and is about being great moms and dads and teaching children how to give back. They focus on giving, rather than getting – and showing children how they can help neighbors. Their mission is to inspire life-long giving in all ages, especially children so they design opportunities for others to make a difference in the lives and communities around them. When your child is an elf, they get to experience giving first-hand, by giving presents to children face-to-face during one of their amazing events on December 10, 2016. Please visit their website for more information or to adopt a family: www.santaselvesdenver.org.
The Denver Santa Claus Shop is a volunteer-run, nondenominational, nonprofit that shares the spirit of the Holidays with Denver children in need – many of whom might not otherwise have a toy to open at Christmas. Hundreds of volunteers collect toys and donations, then build a huge temporary toy store in December – the Denver Santa Claus Shop. Qualified families are invited to the Shop so parents can actually shop – choosing toys for their children ages newborn through 11 years old, and expect to help 14,000 children in 2015. www.denversantaclausshop.org/
AWRSAY Santa House helps struggling families during the Christmas season in the Arvada area. Toy donations such as dolls, learning toys, books, trucks, cars balls, skateboards, board games, craft kits, trucks, remote control cars, preteen jewelry, clock radios, hand held computer games, art materials, dartboards, portable Walkmans are great, as are cash/check donations. To help out, bring unwrapped NEW toys, for infants through age 12, to any Apex PRD facility during regular hours before December 12. Volunteers will begin their work setting up in late November, and the store will be open to families on December 2-3, 6-10 and 13-17. Santa House is located at Arvada Square Center at the northwest corner of 58th Avenue and Garrison Street.
Denver Children’s Home serves Colorado’s most vulnerable children and families who are struggling with poverty, abuse, neglect, violence and mental health problems. They provide wish lists completed by client families and you provide the gifts. Wish lists are available now and all gifts must be delivered, new, in original packaging and unwrapped, to DCH. There are other ways to serve that include their holiday gift card drive, join the cheer squad and more. denverchildrenshome.org
Care4Colorado Holiday Toy Drive. Each holiday season, generous supporters collect toys and gift cards that are distributed to Boys & Girls Club members throughout the holidays. You can stop by any Front Range King Soopers location to drop off new unwrapped toys from now through December 24. CBS4 and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver will also hold a special collection day event at the King Soopers at 2750 S. Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO. Be sure to go to the website bgcmd.org to see the list of suggested toys for kids ages 6-18.
Adopt an Angel. When you “adopt” an angel through The Salvation Army Angel Tree program, you’ll make a local child’s Christmas wish come true. Simply pull a tag from an Angel Tree, select a “virtual angel here,” or make a monetary donation that will be used to purchase gifts for children in need right here in our area. There are several toy drop locations throughout the Denver metro area, as well as the annual Hope for the Holidays toy drive in partnership with Fox31 Denver. salvationarmyusa.org/usn/christmas-assistance
Toys for Tots. The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. There are local campaigns all over Colorado (find them here) where you may make toy or monetary donations.
Volunteers of America. The Adopt-A-Family program provides Christmas gifts for families who otherwise would not have the means to celebrate. Individuals or groups are needed to “adopt-a-family” for the holidays by supplying the family with holiday gifts. Volunteers are also needed to assist with sorting and distributing the gifts. https://www.voacolorado.org/volunteer-opportunities/holiday-volunteer-opportunities
Hanes Holiday Sock Drive –The community can now donate socks to help the homeless in Denver with donations at Hanes Outlet stores in Lakewood and Castle Rock. Hanes has donated more than 1.9 million socks to the homeless and those in need since the program started 7 years ago. The donation bins provide a way for the community to add to what Hanes is donating.
We would love to add any large-scale toy drives we may have missed so please include in the comments below.
Author: Amber Johnson
Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.
Suzanne
This is an amazing organization that provides gifts for children for birthdays and the Holidays. They provide tremendous support to families in need. I’m not associated with the organization but have adopted children for Christmas gifts.