Children’s Fund, a nonprofit providing Support, Opportunity, and Hope to vulnerable children throughout San Bernardino County, collected and distributed 56,192 gifts for children this holiday season as part of their 32nd Annual Celebration of Giving campaign.
“We are pleased with the community’s support, donating so many gifts for children, especially in the middle of a pandemic,” said Dr. Ciriaco “Cid” Pinedo, President & CEO of Children’s Fund.
Children’s Fund collected toys and gift cards for children ages 0-18 years old during the month of December, exceeding their goal of 50,000 gifts.
“Because so many families are affected by COVID-19 this year, we knew the need would be high. We were determined to meet, or even exceed, our goal,” says Gary Ovitt, Chair of the Board of Directors at Children’s Fund.
Shari Hunke, Director of Marketing & PR explained that “the community really showed up for the kids this year.” In addition to the gifts and toys donated, over 50 families participated in the “adopt-a-family” program, where donors were given the name, age, and wish list of children who needed extra attention this year. This program alone represents over 200 children and donations valued at over $20,000.
Children’s Fund distributed the gifts to county agencies and nonprofits during the two weeks before Christmas.
“We really rely on our nonprofit partners, clinicians, and case managers to help us get the toys to the kids,” says Betty Chambers, Programs Director at Children’s Fund. “Our staff and volunteers overcame new restrictions and challenges this year and made sure all those toys were delivered on time.”
The Celebration of Giving campaign depends heavily on toy donations and major donors, including First 5 San Bernardino, Spark of Love, San Bernardino County Fire, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Ticket to Dream Foundation, Forever 21 Distribution, Southern California News Group, and many others.
Toys, gifts, and gift cards are still being collected for needs throughout the year. If you would like to donate, please call 909.379.0000 or visit www.childrensfund.org.
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