Making the holidays brighter for local families!
Through Youth Services’ Holiday Gift Program, generous donors make the season brighter by donating to give gift cards to local families. This gift gives twice: parents receive the joy of shopping for their children, while children get the exact toy, clothing, and special item they most want and need.
This approach gives families something especially meaningful: the dignity of choice. Parents can select the perfect gift for their child with help from a generous donor who has demonstrated their care. Teens can choose something that makes them feel seen and celebrated, while learning how to budget their purchases. Younger children get the exact item that makes their holiday magical, while enjoying the special spirit of the season. And every family receives a tangible reminder that their community cares about them and values them as neighbors and friends.
Last year, the generosity of our community helped more than 270 families and 670 children experience a brighter holiday season.
Together, we can do even more this year. Your support reminds families throughout our community that they are not alone. Thank you for bringing the spirit of the season to all families.
A special thank you to our partners, Wintrust, for their continued support of Youth Services and the Holiday Gift Program.
With every $100 contribution, you help provide a child with gift cards to choose the items they want and need most, while also supporting the care and services Youth Services provides to children and families throughout the year. Your generosity brings joy during the holiday season—and makes a meaningful difference long after it ends.
The Youth Services team nominate families who may benefit from support. If a family decides to participate, all children under 18 years old are included and gift cards are distributed directly to the family as early in the holiday season as possible. Physical gifts are not accepted or distributed to families.
To better support the growing needs of families, Youth Services has evolved our Holiday Gift Program. As more clients express a preference for gift cards, we’ve shifting away from physical items to offer families greater autonomy. This change empowers families by providing the joy of selecting their own gifts. Gift cards also help ensure a more equitable experience for all families we serve.
You can sponsor one or more children by making a donation that will be used to purchase gift cards for each child. Click here to register and make your donation.
Your gift today provides the ability for gift cards to be purchased and distributed to families as quickly as possible. All gifts will be distributed by December 18th, but we hope to distribute to clients starting in November to provide as much time as possible for their shopping.
We are asking for $100 per child. This amount will be used to purchase gift cards for each child while also providing a donation to Youth Services that will help support them throughout the year.
For client privacy, we are not providing the name(s) of children receiving gifts. If this information is necessary for your contribution, please feel free to contact us to talk more.
Yes! You are welcome to purchase your own gift cards. Please give cards in $25 increments to Amazon, Kohl’s, Target, or Walmart. Please contact us for more information about drop off.
There are a lot of ways to support Youth Services and our clients! You can donate a new coat as part of our children’s winter coat event. Our agency wish list also has items needed throughout the year for programs and clients.
