Making Holidays Brighter in Chicago

This holiday season has been undoubtedly difficult for many families across Illinois. With COVID-19 continuing to spread, hardships have continued to increase, especially for families who were already experiencing crisis. At Children’s Home & Aid, we are grateful for the opportunity to alleviate some of the stress families and children face during the pandemic.

Thanks to our generous corporate partners and supporters throughout the community, we were able to make the holidays a little brighter for the families and children we partner with in a big way.

Through our Holiday Campaign, we were able to raise more than $130,000 to support over 2,000 children, youth, parents and caregivers in our programs by purchasing gift cards for their use. Believing that families know best what they need, these gift cards helped parents and caregivers buy holiday gifts, groceries, and other essential home goods like diapers and formula.

In addition to gift cards, our four early childhood centers in the Chicago metro area were able to fill their Parent Pantries with much needed supplies such as diapers, cleaning supplies, and toiletries through our partnership with individual and corporate supporters across Illinois. We also received 100 handmade blankets from Project Linus and 300 coats from Carol Bernick to keep our children warm during the winter months ahead!

We have been blown away by the generosity of the community. Children’s Home & Aid does whatever it takes to go where the need is greatest, and we could not give families the extra mile of support they need without your help. Because of our partners, we were able to help parents and caregivers have one less thing to worry about this holiday season. And what’s more – because of your support, Children’s Home & Aid has established an emergency assistance fund that will continue to help families beyond the holidays. Families needing help with rent, purchasing groceries, and the staple items we take for granted like diapers and formula are now able to receive that assistance due through the fund.

COVID-19 has changed the world in ways no one could have foreseen. We are so grateful for the support of our outstanding partners including the Chicago White Sox, Aon, Akerman, CTS Impact, CliftonLarsonAllen, Groupon, HealthScape, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo, Meeting Tomorrow, the Chicago Cubs, and MLB players Yu Darvish and Jon Lester. Moreover, our long-time partners in Children’s Home & Aid’s Board of Trustees, Woman’s Board, and Hinsdale Auxiliary continue to go above and beyond to support kids and families in this time of unprecedented need.

Families and children across the state have gone through a lot this year but with your help, we continue to find ways to support their needs. We’re grateful for all who supported Children’s Home & Aid during the 2020 holiday season. Your efforts will help fund our vital programs operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in communities across the state. On behalf of the families we serve, thank you for your generosity and compassion.