Holiday Cheer
If you are seeking holiday assistance, please download our Holiday Cheer Information Flier
Holiday Cheer brightens the holidays of families in need by matching them with community sponsors who provide basic needs and gifts, including Thanksgiving meals.
Holiday Cheer provides community sponsors with an opportunity for personal interaction between the sponsor and the family with whom they have been matched. Sponsors are matched with families based on donor preferences and geographical proximity.
As a sponsor, you will be provided with information about the family that most closely resembles your giving preferences. We generally recommend that sponsors contact their match prior to shopping to introduce themselves, gather any additional information, and arrange for a mutually convenient time and place to deliver your gifts.
While the holidays are a time of year when every child dreams of receiving that "special" toy, the main focus of our program is on practical basic needs that will be useful all year, such as coats, clothing, school supplies, and household items such as bed sheets. Please consider including one or more of these practical items in your giving.
Holiday Cheer is a one-on-one sponsorship program, with emphasis on personal interaction between you and your Holiday Cheer family. Unfortunately, we are unable to store or deliver gifts on your behalf, and we ask that you keep this responsibility in mind when deciding to participate.
We have urgent needs for sponsors who:
- Speak Spanish
- Would like to sponsor a senior citizen
- Would like to help a family in rural eastern or southern Wake County.
How are participating Holiday Cheer client families selected?
While the need is our community is certainly great, our project is not able to assist all 75,000+ individuals that our agency serves. To help us prioritize, we ask social workers and case managers to consider all the families in their caseload and nominate those families to the Holiday Cheer program who can benefit the most.
Important Project dates for Holiday Cheer 2011
There is no deadline for becoming a sponsor; however, early sponsorship increases the likelihood that we can find a close match with your preferences.
- October 1: We will begin accepting sponsorship applications from community donors.
- Oct. 31–Nov. 4: We accept internal nominations for participant households.
- November 11: Wake County Government is closed in observance of Veteran's Day.
- November 14:We will begin matching sponsors with eligible families, and provide contact information to the sponsors.
- December 1: By this date, sponsors should make an initial contact with their Holiday Cheer family to introduce themselves and gather any additional information.
- December 19: The recommended deadline for sponsors to deliver gifts.
Notes for Sponsors
There is no "minimum" dollar amount required to participate, and we encourage sponsors to consider their budget when requesting a family. Eligible families range in size from one adult up to 10 children. As a guideline, sponsors in past years report spending about $50–$75 per person.
Although we attempt to match you with a family that reflects your giving preferences as closely as possible, we are not always able to guarantee a perfect match. Please let us know if the family we've selected for you is not a good fit, and we will be happy to work with you to find a suitable alternate.
If for any reason you become unable to fulfill the responsibilities of sponsorship, please notify us immediately.
Are there other options for giving to Holiday Cheer?
If you prefer, we are happy to accept financial contributions to Holiday Cheer. Your donation will be used to purchase supermarket gift cards or other practical items for families in need.
Checks can be made payable to Wake County Human Services and mailed to:
Holiday Cheer
Wake County Human Services
P.O. Box 46833
Raleigh, NC 27620-6833
How to contact us:
Denise Kissel, Program Specialist, Office of Community Affairs
Ph: 919-212-7083
fax: 919-212-7792
Email: denise.kissel@wakegov.com
Elaine Mejia, Program Assistant, Office of Community Affairs
Ph: 919-212-7084
fax: 919-212-7792
Email: elaine.mejia@wakegov.com
Do you need volunteers?
There is no "regular" volunteer schedule; however, we do serve some children whose anonymity may need to remain protected, and in such cases we may need a few volunteers who can serve as a delivery person between the sponsor and the foster family.
Is Holiday Cheer the only holiday program in Wake County?
Wake County residents are extraordinarily generous, and a variety of holiday giving options exist throughout Wake County. The organizations listed below also host holiday programs, and we encourage you to contact them if you'd like more information about their programs.
- Helping Hand Mission (Raleigh, Cary, Wendell) 919-828-9014
- Western Wake Crisis Ministry (Apex, Holly Springs, Morrisville) 919-362-0657
- North Raleigh Crisis Ministry (North Raleigh) 919-785-9911
- Salvation Army of Wake County (Wake County) 919-832-6918
- Community Helpers (Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon) 919-217-0061
- WEB DuBois Center (Wake Forest, Louisburg, Rolesville) 919-556-0269
- (senior citizens only served) Resources for Seniors (Wake County) 919-872-7933