We hold a strong belief in building others up. Sometimes that means providing personal and professional growth opportunities - and sometimes that means helping our neighbors meet their basic needs in challenging times.
Our annual toy drive sponsors a local school where many children might otherwise go without holiday gifts. We collect gifts, wrap them and then deliver them discretely so the parent can "be the hero" and give the gift to the child or put it under the tree. Some schools also allow us to do a fun event with the kids to celebrate!
With your help, we aim to provide each child with a cozy outfit, new pair of socks, 1-2 toys and a supermarket gift card to bring comfort & joy to their holiday.
Updated 1/11/26
Details for our 2026 drive will be posted in October 2026.
Deadline for donations is 11/27/26
There are a few ways that you can help us bring holiday cheer to the community this season!
Donate Funds: This option allows us to purchase exactly what we need to support the mission. Donate HERE.
Donate Time: We can use help shopping, wrapping, labeling and delivering. Coordinate by texting Crystal 919-426-2267.
Spread the Word: Simply sharing this page on your social media or within your community helps!
NOTE: We do not accept toys, clothing or other physical donations. By collecting funds and dividing our efforts equally amongst all students in the school we can make sure that everyone gets what they need.
Reflecting on past accomplishments helps energize us for the future! I cherish the memories of the hundreds of families we have helped since 2014 and look forward to seeing our future efforts posted here!
This year we sponsored 30 kids at the same alternative school as 2024. There was something comforting in knowing that the kids know they can count on us. It wasn't just a single year - we came back - and we plan to come back again!
Most of the kids this year were 13-16 years old. I love that we were able to keep the spirit alive for them and remind them that even as they get older they are still worthy of support. Each child ages 7-16 got socks, a hoodie, 1-2 "big gifts" and 1-2 stocking stuffers.
Some of the most memorable moments:
a child wished for Hot Sauce and we were able to make it happen
another child wrote down Cheeseburgers as something they are interested in so we got cheeseburger socks
one child wished for Sleep so we got an eye mask that also reduces sound by covering the ears
The staff was emotional and appreciative when they realized that every single child in the school was going home with a whole bag of cheer.
Thank you for continuing to help us in this mission!
This year we sponsored 37 kids at an alternative school in Pender County. I found the school when a local teacher posted online looking for clothing donations for some of the kids. We were able to provide all elementary and middle school students with 2 gifts each as well as a supermarket gift card - and each high school student got a small gift and a Walmart gift card. The principal and teachers were thrilled that we wrapped each gift and then placed it in a black trash bag. It seems silly and doesn't look very festive but the truth is that those gifts might be the ones that some of the kids get this year. We don't want them to come from us. We want the parent to take the gift home and put it under the tree. They are the hero - not us. Happy Holidays!
Through the years we have sponsored close to 1,000 families by providing toys, clothing, supermarket gift cards as well as empathy, joy, respect and understanding. I am proud to have this foundation to build our future initiatives on!