Holiday Gift Sponsor FAQs

Q. Why can’t I get a shopping list for the child I am sponsoring? I don’t know what a child this age would like.

A. Providing specific wishes to donors to fill has become more difficult in recent years for many reasons. This process is extremely time-consuming and specific items are becoming increasingly difficult to find. We encourage donors to search “most popular gifts for X year old” to find many lists of ideas at many retailers. Gift cards are always a welcome gift!

Q. I prioritize coats and warm weather gear and would like to provide these items, but they are not included. How can I do that?

A. Most recipient families received their coats through a larger community coat drive with Titans Helping Titans in October. New and gently used coats are still being accepted for families who need them. You can drop them off at the Youth Services building (3080 West Lake Ave. in Glenview).

Q. I have a child from one family that has more interest and favorites than their siblings. What should I do?

A. We strive to make sure that siblings are balanced in terms of number of gifts/volume of gifts – especially for the younger aged children who do not understand value. We encourage donors to do their best in balancing gifts. Not every interest needs a corresponding gift.

Q. How much are we expected to spend per child?

A. The amount spent on each child varies widely depending on a sponsor’s comfort level, financial ability, and the child’s interests. We encourage donors to spend within their means. Preferably we would rather a donor focus on getting multiple gifts for one child instead of one thing for multiple children. If you have any concerns about this, we ask donors to communicate with staff as soon as possible so we may re-assign the other children.

Q. When do you need the gifts?

A. We request everything by the first week of December. To be honest, we prefer gifts as soon as possible because of so many delays and inventory issues, illnesses, and an increased demand in need. Also, we are a very lean team, so we try to get as much accomplished as quickly as possible. We also begin to call families for pick-up as soon as their gifts are finalized to alleviate space constraints. We would not be able to handle all of this in December.

Q. A child on my list has an age with a decimal point and additional numbers. What does that mean?

A. This is the exact age of the child. Please refer to the first number. If it is close to .9, then assume they are just about to have a birthday.

Q. There are a lot of name brands on my list. Is that important?

A. Many children specify name brands because this is their opportunity to get a special brand of clothing or item they may not receive otherwise. We ask that these are within reasonable range (for example, not designer). Often kids may not know how much something costs and see other kids wearing these items. We encourage you to follow this direction when possible. Otherwise, a similar brand or a gift card are nice alternatives.