The Newcomers Club of Nevada County

Christmas Families Project

Our Christmas Families Project was started in 2002 and has grown through the years. We’ve been able to provide Christmas gifts every year to hundreds of families with children. Some of the funds that will be needed are raised at our October luncheon, which will feature a Silent Auction this year. A large percentage of our membership participate through donations, shopping and/or wrapping every year.

This program is designed to be a “helping hand up, not a handout” for families who are working, attending school for new job skills or find themselves in a temporary, negative economic situation. Each family is carefully screened by Helping Hands Nurturing Center, Women of Worth or the Friendship Club.

The chosen families fill out Wish Lists with each child’s age, gender, clothing sizes and special gift requests. We start getting the family wish lists at the end of October. Each family is given a number (for anonymity) and then the wish lists are given to our Shoppers. Once the Shoppers have completed their purchases, they deliver their unwrapped gifts to our Wrapping Center. The gifts start coming in just before Thanksgiving and they keep coming in until the cutoff date, December 12th. By then, the gifts will all have been wrapped, bagged and tagged for delivery to the agencies. This will take 60-80 Shoppers and 30-50 Wrappers. That’s a lot of volunteers!

Some years we can fulfill wishes for special items that go beyond the scope of a normal gift purchase. Special Items might be a sewing machine, pots and pans, cribs, Kindles, beds or bicycles. If there are Special Items listed on the Wish Lists, we may be able to find them in new, nearly new or good condition.

We are always on the lookout for additional volunteers for this program.  If you are interested, please reference your Newcomer’s roster and get in touch with either of the CFP Chairs. Thank you!

From the first receipt of the Wish Lists to the final delivery to the agencies at their chosen drop off points, our Newcomers members work hard and long to be sure that each child and each of our families will have a Happy Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in more information about out Newcomers Club or our Christmas Families Project, please contact us using our Contact Us page.