Program Spotlight: Christmas Angels Program

The River Center Christmas Angels program was established to help families through providing a couple of gifts for children at the holidays. We have two focus areas – first to get as many of our identified families hooked into existing programs in our region and second to help supply gifts for those who are not covered by the existing Christmas programs this year. I maintain a list of regional contacts and programs so that during October I can refer as many people as possible.​

What are the Christmas Angels?
As we get closer to the holidays, my Christmas Angels step up to fill the gaps. Sometimes, families think that they are set for the holidays and an unexpected expense such as a car repair, medical bill or utilities are more than expected. In a couple of cases, families received custody of a child or a foster child in early December. In other cases, we help to cover teenagers who have aged out of some of the other local programs. We try to provide a clothing item and a fun item for each child. A couple of items for Christmas can make a big difference.

Who are the Christmas Angels?
I have more than a dozen shoppers in our region who help to provide Christmas gifts. For the last few years, we have also been able to provide grocery gift cards due to local donors. These gift cards help to cover the costs of Christmas dinner and stocking stuffers and are very much appreciated by the families!
​
I’m so grateful for all the generous people who add these gifts to their Christmas lists. In 2023, more than 20 Angels have helped to cover over 20 families. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina K. volunteers as our Volunteer Coordinator. With a knack for rallying people behind meaningful causes from The River Center to the Peterborough Library to Children and the Arts Festival and more, Tina is all about making a real difference in the community, one volunteer at a time. She lives in Peterborough with her husband while their 2 sons are away at college.