We are actively planning an exciting and magical Christmas for the foster youth and families we serve in Southwest Ohio. We are grateful for previous and current donors. Due to increased volume in programs we are in need of a few more partners, won’t you join us?
Each year, with community support, we are able to provide Christmas JOY to all of our programs. It is only made possible because of generous community individuals and groups. We truly believe there is a way for everyone to get involved. Check it out for yourself…
- Giving tree ornaments are wishes of our foster youth between $35-50 (Perfect for an office setting)
- Adopt a teen allows you to purchase items from a wish list our transitional age teens have filled out, because they are not with a foster family this is often the only Christmas they receive. This serves independent living and bridges youth.
- Adopt a family, this helps a community based family we are providing mental health services to. We are using a hybrid model of gift cards and gifts for the family. These families are not foster families, rather families that have many on-going needs
- Gift cards help us fill in any of the gaps, allows for us to provide holiday meals to families too! A perfect way to help for someone who is on the GO!
- Monetary support helps with Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for families and more! This will help fund our activities we organize for foster families and independent living youth in lieu of our traditional large Christmas parties. (hopefully next year we can get back to those)
*NEW* this year we are doing a Squishmallow and children’s book drive. Items do need to be new and delivered to our office by November 4th. Both items will be used as giveaway/prizes for our foster family party. We have many kids under 10 – looking for all sizes of Squishmallows and ages for books. You are welcome to ship these items directly to us as well.
If you are interested in any of these holiday giving opportunities please contact Ashley at apester@choicesohio.org or 937-264-0084 ext.122. We know there is a lot to choose from, and we are dedicated to helping you figure out what works best for you or your organization. Please see our FAQ’s below regarding our outreach projects!
Christmas for our youth and families is 100% donor funded. Thank you for bringing them JOY.
FAQ for Holiday Giving
What areas do you serve? CHOICES programs serve all communities across Southwest, Ohio. All donations help local youth and families in this region. Dayton, Cincinnati, Springfield and every community between.
When are gifts due? Your timeliness is appreciated as our staff has many gifts to deliver prior to Christmas
- Giving Tree wishes are due December 1st
- Adopt a Teen gifts are due December 11th
- Adopt a Family gifts are due December 11th
Where do I deliver gifts? Gifts can be delivered to our Dayton office located at 1785 Big Hill Rd Dayton, OH 45439. If you are located in the Cincinnati area we can work out delivery to our Cincy office or have a staff member meet you.
- Our hours are Monday-Friday 9 am – 5 pm. We are closing at 3:30 pm on Friday December 8th due to our foster family party.
- If you will need to drop off outside of these hours we will have limited evening/weekend times. Please communicate this to us early on.
Can you pick up gifts from our location? No. This is something we have done in the past, as our programs and number of clients has grown it is something we are not able to continue.
Can we wrap our gifts? No. All gifts need to be unwrapped. This makes it easier for us to sort and organize. Over the years we have discovered parents often unwrap the gifts prior to giving them to the children to make sure they are appropriate for their child. You are welcome to provide wrapping paper for the parents/caseworkers. Also, please make sure each gift is labeled.
Can I collect generic toy donations at my location? Yes! We have a holiday wish list available and we would also highly encourage you to participate in our Squishmallow and book drive.
Are there other opportunities to help outside of the holiday season? Absolutely, YES! We would love to share more about how you can help the kids and families we serve year round. From individual requests, scholarship funding, our annual golf outing and MORE.
Are my donations tax deductible? Yes. When you drop off your donation to our office we will provide a donation slip you can use for your documentation. We also send thank you/tax deduction letters following the holiday season. If you are participating in a giving tree we will send letters to anyone who provides a name/address on the back of their giving tree ornament.
