Season’s Greetings! Today we kick off a number of Children’s Home & Aid’s holiday events in the Chicagoland area.

This year, our Holiday Gift Drive team has been working with 39 corporate partners to fill more than 1,200 holiday wish lists for children and families in our programs across the Chicago metro area. The Holiday Gift Drive benefits a variety of our programs, including those that support children entering the foster care system, parents seeking support and counseling to better their families’ lives, and youth violence prevention programming.

Through the support of our partners, we are able to go beyond the provision of services and address child and family needs holistically throughout the year.

One of our incredible corporate partners, Groupon, has participated in our Holiday Gift Drive for several years, sponsoring more 340 kids and 310 families in that time. Asked about their dedicated years of participation, Alicia Koch, Groupon Global Program Manager (Social Responsibility), said:

“Groupon is proud to partner with Children’s Home & Aid for our 9th annual Holiday Gift Drive! Every year, teammates step up to support our neighbors during the holiday season and celebrate our social responsibility mission to help people and communities thrive.”

We’re thankful for Groupon’s partnership and could not meet the needs of kids and families without the support of generous donors who give back to the communities they live and work in.

In addition to providing support for holiday wishes, many of our partners also host Essential Needs Drives at their respective office locations to ensure each and every person we serve has access to the items they need during this holiday season and beyond. These companies collect everything from therapeutic toys to kitchenware, which is distributed during the holidays and throughout the year to families in need.

This week we are also gearing up for our 29th annual Snug Hugs for Kids event, held at the Mitzi Freidheim Child & Family Center in Englewood!

We are thankful to our loyal partner, Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops, who collect winter items at their shop locations across Chicagoland. With their support, we are able to distribute coats, scarves, gloves and other winter gear to hundreds of families we serve on the south side of Chicago.

Kristin Lamb, Merlin’s Manager of Operations, spoke to the powerful feeling of Snug Hugs delivery day, where Merlin trucks arrive and unload literal tons of winter items generously donated and collected at their stores.

“This is our 29th year keeping kids warm in Illinois. It’s amazing to see everyone…Franchisees, employees, customers, vendors, knitters, and other members of the community take the time to donate winter clothes every year. Delivery day is by far our favorite because we get to see everyone’s hard work come together as we load every box in into the Englewood center. “

December is a busy month at Children’s Home & Aid –  a big thank you to everyone who participated in giving this holiday season! It’s not too late to make an impact – click here to donate in support of our Holiday Fund and help children and families thrive in the New Year.