Christmas / Winter Support
Christmas / Winter Essentials Program
Sharing joy and winter warmth with kids and families
Applications are open for the 2024 Season!
If you would like to apply for care packages for your children or teens, click or tap the buttons below to fill out an application form.
Do you want to help by giving?Learn how to donate gift items here. |
Does your organization want to help? |
Do you want to volunteer? |
About Christmas / Winter Essentials Program
Every year, more than 1,100 Maine children whose families face financial hardship are served through Maine Children's Home's (MCH) Christmas / Winter Essentials Program. The program is the only one of its kind in Maine. Each participating child is given brand new clothes, winter hats, mittens, gloves, boots, jackets, toys, books, and games, and their families are connected to additional resources. Bringing this warmth, joy, and care to each child or teen is only possible because generous people donate needed items, give financially, and volunteer.
Who is served
Did you know that 42% of Maine families struggle to meet their basic needs?
Christmas / Winter Essentials Program serves families with an income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level during the winter months. Children and youth 17-years-old and younger receive boxes of brand new and personalized essential items based on their interests, urgent needs, and clothing sizes.
What children and youth receive
Christmas / Winter Essentials Program strives to provide high-quality gifts that are tailored to the requests for each individual child — real Maine children and youth. These real children are the reason why the program only accepts newly purchased items in their original packaging — free of dents, tears, and dirt.
When a child opens a gift from Christmas / Winter Essentials Program, we hope the child feels special and thinks: “this gift was meant for only me! I’m the first person to own it.”
The items provided for each child or youth vary greatly based on unique needs, interests, and sizes.
Here are examples of possible care packages for different age groups:
For ages 0 – 4
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For ages 5 – 8
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For ages 9 – 12
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For ages 13 – 17
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Do you want to receive gifts for your family?
Learn more about the specific qualifications and the application process on our Application Information page.
Or, click or tap the buttons below to fill out an application form.
Do you want to give and support this program?
You can give throughout the year to help children through Christmas / Winter Essentials Program:
Give Financially
Your monetary gift of any size directly helps a real child in Maine. Children from every Maine county have received care packages!
Your financial gift means we can respond to more needs and serve more children and youth with new items personally chosen for them and new clothes in their correct size — especially when family applications outpace what’s in inventory to meet specific needs.
For example, financial gifts can make the difference between a child receiving a box that includes just clothing basics or a box also with warm winter wear in their specific size, no matter that size:
- $50 could keep 1 child warm in the coldest months with correctly sized new winter wear
- $100 could help make sure 2 children stay warm with new winter wear that’s in their size
- $250 could help outfit 5 children with new, warm winter wear in their size
- $500 could mean 10 children stay warm with new winter wear that fits their growth
Ways to give financially:
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Give online today!
- Give by check, donor-advised fund (DAF), or IRA qualified charitable distribution:
Maine Children’s Home, Christmas / Winter Essentials
93 Silver Street
Waterville, ME 04901
Tax ID: 01-0267392
Note: sometimes DAF and IRA gifts arrive without information to identify you, and we want to thank you! Please email give@mainechildrenshome.org to let us know your gift is on the way!
Give Newly Purchased Urgent Need Items
Each child has individual interests, hobbies, and clothing sizes – and that means Christmas / Winter Essentials Program needs very specific items in our inventory to serve each child!
You can help meet these needs by purchasing new specific “Urgent Needs” items from our list. Then, ship the items or drop them off so staff and volunteers can get these items to a child.
All items must be newly purchased and in original packaging free of dents, tears, or dirt.
Your gift at any time will make a difference. Please consider donating earlier in the year so we can better prepare for each child! Item donations are greatly needed and deeply appreciated all year long, as we must build inventory throughout the year to pack boxes for each youth served in the holiday season. Items received after the current season help prepare for the next holiday season.
If you’re purchasing items through Amazon or online, please select the “this is a gift” option at check out. Then, include your full name and contact information under the gift section. This allows our team to thank you for your generosity.
Ship items to:
Maine Children’s Home: Christmas
93 Silver Street
Waterville, ME, 04901
Drop off items in person:
Item donations can be dropped off between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the MCH Evergreen Building “Donation Drop Off Point.” Items cannot be accepted outside of these days/times.
Please label your item donations with “ATTN: Christmas / Winter Essentials.” You will also be asked to complete a donation slip to accompany your items.
Directions:
- Navigate to the MCH Campus at 93 Silver Street, Waterville, ME 04901
- After entering the campus, drive past two buildings on the right (Eskelund is first, and then Evergreen)
- Drive around Evergreen (the 2nd building) to the basement-level door marked “Donation Drop Off Point”
- Give your items to the staff or volunteer at the Donation Drop-Off Point, and complete the donation slip.
- Call 207-873-4253 if you experience challenges finding the Drop-Off Point.
Does your organization want to help through a collection drive?
Giving Tree and Christmas in July are the two item collection drives organized by Maine Children’s Home to help support Christmas / Winter Essentials Program.
Giving Tree
The Giving Tree collection drive runs from October to December. Participating businesses and organizations across Maine help put gifts in the hands of youth by:
- Hosting a “Giving Tree” decorated with gift tags employees and customers can take to donate specific items
- Hosting a Giving Tree poster linking to our Urgent Needs, ways to give, and Amazon wish lists
- Hosting a donation collection spot for items on their Giving Tree and our Urgent Needs list
- Sponsoring a recipient family through monetary or item donations from employees, or
- All of the above!
If your business or organization is interested in participating in the Giving Tree campaign, please contact the program director at essentials@mainechildrenshome.org.
Christmas in July
Each July, credit unions across Maine compete against each other and participate in the Christmas in July collection drive by:
- Hosting and promoting a gift item collection at their location to benefit Christmas / Winter Essentials Program, and
- Hosting a Christmas in July poster linking to our Urgent Needs, ways to give, and Amazon wish lists.
If your credit union is interested in participating in the Christmas in July drive, please contact the program director at essentials@mainechildrenshome.org.
Do you want to volunteer?
Getting gift boxes into the hands of more than 1,100 children and youth requires thousands of hours from dedicated, caring people — and our wonderful volunteers help make this happen!
If you're interested in making a difference of each child and becoming a Christmas / Winter Essentials volunteer, email volunteers@mainechildrenshome.org or call 207-873-4253 (Ext. 228) to get involved!
Visit the MCH volunteer page to learn more about available volunteer opportunities.
Sponsors of Christmas / Winter Essentials Program
Marden’s and the Red Stocking Fundraiser
Marden’s generously organizes an annual fundraiser across their store locations called the Red Stocking Program. Marden’s customers and staff can make a Red Stocking donation at a Marden’s store checkout, and the store displays a paper red stocking in the entryway for every donation received. At the end of the giving season, Marden’s presents a check to Christmas / Winter Essentials Program for the total amount Marden’s customers, staff, and the Marden family raised together that year.
The New Balance Foundation and the Well-Being Toolkit
Every family receiving gifts from Christmas / Winter Essentials Program is also offered a Well-Being Toolkit sponsored by the New Balance Foundation. This booklet is full of playful activities for practicing healthy habits and includes resources for families and children facing hardships.
Download a digital version of our Well-Being Toolkit.
Other Key Supporters:
The Friends of Maine Children's Home
Click here to see a list of Christmas Program’s organizational supporters.
The 2023 Winter Season was Another Success!
In 2023, we provided winter essentials to 1,181 children from 541 families!
Our Christmas / Winter Essentials Program reached 141 towns across all 16 counties of Maine. Every child received a box of brand new warm clothing, boots, books, toys, games, and more.
We accept only new items for gifts.
Support Christmas / Winter Essentials Program
Monetary gifts to Christmas / Winter Essentials Program help with the costs of running the program, such as purchasing specific items or clothing sizes when there is a shortage. In addition to monetary gifts, gifts of items listed on the current Urgent Needs list help make sure that every child and family gets their Christmas Program needs met.
Want more information about Christmas / Winter Essentials Program?
For more information about Christmas / Winter Essentials Program at MCH, please contact us by calling 207-873-4253, extension 228 or via email.