Project Christmas provides SOUTH JERSEY families in need, with the assistance necessary for their kids to have a special holiday.
Please read more to learn about our mission;
Please read more to learn about our mission;
The Project Christmas Objective: We want every child that we assist- to have a magical & truly enjoyable Christmas, during which, they are completely unaware of the the difficulties and stress that their family is currently enduring.
We don't *JUST* help the kids: It is our hope that by assisting families with things like clothing, winter coats, stocking stuffers, gifts for their children, as well as food and toiletries for the entire family - that each family can direct what money they DO have - to pay necessary bills (maintaining their homes and vehicles - if they have one.)
By helping to provide for some of their basic grocery, clothing & seasonal meal needs, we hope that these families will feel some sense of relief .
We don't *JUST* help the kids: It is our hope that by assisting families with things like clothing, winter coats, stocking stuffers, gifts for their children, as well as food and toiletries for the entire family - that each family can direct what money they DO have - to pay necessary bills (maintaining their homes and vehicles - if they have one.)
By helping to provide for some of their basic grocery, clothing & seasonal meal needs, we hope that these families will feel some sense of relief .
We hope to provide assistance for as many families as possible - while ensuring that the families that are selected receive EVERYTHING necessary to ensure that they have a truly special Christmas.
Our goal: To provide each family with enough age-appropriate gifts for each child that are in-line with the child's interests and requests.
How we'll accomplish this: When all the collecting is done and it's time to pack and deliver to our families, our volunteers go through all the donations, individually "shopping" for clothing and gifts for each child. We use the lists of wants/needs and desires provided by the families so we can choose clothing and toys that align with the child's preferences and interests. During the collection & sorting process, we are in contact with the parents/guardians, sometimes asking them if their child would like a specific item, so that we can best distribute what we have collected.
We don't make assumptions that all little girls want Barbie dolls and that all little boys want toy trucks- we try to collect as much detail as possible from the parents about the children's favorite characters from tv and movies- their favorite toys, as well as their interests & hobbies so that we can best match the donations to the appropriate child.
How we'll accomplish this: When all the collecting is done and it's time to pack and deliver to our families, our volunteers go through all the donations, individually "shopping" for clothing and gifts for each child. We use the lists of wants/needs and desires provided by the families so we can choose clothing and toys that align with the child's preferences and interests. During the collection & sorting process, we are in contact with the parents/guardians, sometimes asking them if their child would like a specific item, so that we can best distribute what we have collected.
We don't make assumptions that all little girls want Barbie dolls and that all little boys want toy trucks- we try to collect as much detail as possible from the parents about the children's favorite characters from tv and movies- their favorite toys, as well as their interests & hobbies so that we can best match the donations to the appropriate child.
Where do we help?
Evans Family Lego Project is based out of Voorhees / Cherry Hill NJ (A suburb of Philadelphia, about fifteen minutes outside the city). Our yearly Christmas project serves families across South Jersey.
We have assisted families living in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties - as well as two families from Philadelphia.
Each year, we select families from South and Central NJ - who are in need of assistance during the Christmas season. We choose a multitude of families from professional references as well as our open applications - families who have been financially impacted and may be struggling to provide a Christmas for their children for a multitude of reasons.
We assist families in which one or more of the kids or parents have chronic health conditions, have suffered serious health problems, or are recovering from a serious injury or accident. We have helped a multitude of families that are recovering from homelessness or have experienced job loss, as well as victims of crime (such as domestic violence). We have also helped families that have been majorly impacted by serious issues like Hurricane Sandy or other natural disasters, such as flooding, storm damage and house fires.
We accept applications from police officers, social workers, as well as from the general public; approximately half of the applications are made from a third party, applying on behalf of the family in need. We communicate with the families, research their situations & we may request references, proof of income, proof of receipt of social services, etc.
We have assisted families living in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties - as well as two families from Philadelphia.
Each year, we select families from South and Central NJ - who are in need of assistance during the Christmas season. We choose a multitude of families from professional references as well as our open applications - families who have been financially impacted and may be struggling to provide a Christmas for their children for a multitude of reasons.
We assist families in which one or more of the kids or parents have chronic health conditions, have suffered serious health problems, or are recovering from a serious injury or accident. We have helped a multitude of families that are recovering from homelessness or have experienced job loss, as well as victims of crime (such as domestic violence). We have also helped families that have been majorly impacted by serious issues like Hurricane Sandy or other natural disasters, such as flooding, storm damage and house fires.
We accept applications from police officers, social workers, as well as from the general public; approximately half of the applications are made from a third party, applying on behalf of the family in need. We communicate with the families, research their situations & we may request references, proof of income, proof of receipt of social services, etc.
What do we provide?
Families chosen can expect assistance with:
(If Needed/Requested:)
- Christmas Gifts for their minor children (Household members under age 18)
(If Needed/Requested:)
- Food (Especially what is needed for a holiday meal). We try to provide families with non-perishable items such as breakfast products, easy-meal ingredients such as pasta & sauce, PB&J, cereal, canned soup & veggies, snack foods, bottled drinks, sauces, easy lunch-box foods, etc.)
- Baby Supplies (Diapers, Wipes, Formula, Baby Food/Snacks, Baby Clothes, Infant Safe Toys, Teething Toys - we may be able to supply some larger items like bouncers, swings, etc)
- Holiday Decor (A Christmas Tree, ornaments, house/tree lights, a wreath, indoor decor, etc)
- Clothing (Clothing for the current and/or next size for both children & adults in the home.)
- Winter Supplies (Such as Winter Coats, Boots, Gloves, Hats, Scarves, Snowsuits, etc) for children & adults in the home.)
- Household Supplies (Such as cleaning products, Paper Products (TP,Paper towels), Detergent, Bleach, etc.)
- Toiletries (Soap, Shampoo, Body Wash, Feminine Hygiene Products, etc)
- Pet Supplies (Pet food, litter, toys, etc)
How are the families chosen?
We base our decision for assistance on three factors: the order applications are received, the reasons the family is in need of assistance & the degree of assistance requested, and finally- what the needs are, of the family and our ability to meet those needs.
This means that being the first applicant, does not automatically mean that your application will be accepted - there are multiple considerations, including the size of the family, the wants/needs of the family, the ages of the children and the type & amount of donations that we have any given year.
Starting in 2022, we will begin only accepting applications from families that have at least one child under the age of 9 years old. Because the majority of our donation drive collects toys and children's clothing - we are most able to help families with younger children, While we will still continue to assist families that include children ages 11-18, it has consistently been a serious challenge & considerably more expensive, to meet the needs of a large number of families with older children. As a result - we have decided to alter our application process to be able to best focus on the families who have children that fall into the age ranges that we receive the most donations for.
We will continue to consider exceptions to this rule - for example - children with physical or mental disabilities or delays who would benefit from or require toys and items that are typically targeted towards younger ages would receive special consideration.
Our intention is not to limit the number of families applying, or to refuse assistance to families who have older children and teens (After all - we believe that *everyone* deserves to have a Christmas!)- it's to be able to help MORE families each year by focusing our efforts on families who are most able to benefit from the type of donations we most often collect. By requiring applicants to have at least one child in the home under the age of 10 - we ensure that all of the families applying would be able to benefit from the majority of clothing, toys and supplies that are donated each year.
This means that being the first applicant, does not automatically mean that your application will be accepted - there are multiple considerations, including the size of the family, the wants/needs of the family, the ages of the children and the type & amount of donations that we have any given year.
Starting in 2022, we will begin only accepting applications from families that have at least one child under the age of 9 years old. Because the majority of our donation drive collects toys and children's clothing - we are most able to help families with younger children, While we will still continue to assist families that include children ages 11-18, it has consistently been a serious challenge & considerably more expensive, to meet the needs of a large number of families with older children. As a result - we have decided to alter our application process to be able to best focus on the families who have children that fall into the age ranges that we receive the most donations for.
We will continue to consider exceptions to this rule - for example - children with physical or mental disabilities or delays who would benefit from or require toys and items that are typically targeted towards younger ages would receive special consideration.
Our intention is not to limit the number of families applying, or to refuse assistance to families who have older children and teens (After all - we believe that *everyone* deserves to have a Christmas!)- it's to be able to help MORE families each year by focusing our efforts on families who are most able to benefit from the type of donations we most often collect. By requiring applicants to have at least one child in the home under the age of 10 - we ensure that all of the families applying would be able to benefit from the majority of clothing, toys and supplies that are donated each year.