FOCUS
Stockings with Care is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making sure that families in need can create the magic of Christmas morning for their kids. Last year, Stockings with Care played Santa to over 1,500 kids. For us, it ‘s about opening hearts, inspiring dreams and preserving the dignity of parents and their families.
Stockings with Care works with coalitions that assist families either living in homeless shelters or who are in jeopardy of becoming homeless and can not afford to celebrate their holiday. Social workers at each of these coalitions work with the parents to make their wish lists. These lists are passed on to Stockings with Care. Through the generosity of our individual Santas, private and corporate donors and a small army of volunteers, we make sure that every child receives two or three things from their list to open on Christmas morning. Thousands of gifts are wrapped and delivered to the parents, empowering them to create magic for their kids.
Of course, lots of kids ask for what every kid wants – toys. But there are an equal number of requests for life’s essentials. Clothes. Books. Strollers, Diapers. One year, a child even asked for dog food so that they didn’t have to give up the family dog that they could no longer afford. We delivered a year’s supply of dog food.
HISTORY
Stockings with Care was founded in 1992 by Rosalie Joseph and Tom Fontana. And every year since then, sometime in September, we come together to make this happen. We are a grassroots organization with no office and run almost entirely by volunteers.