About Us
We buy stuff
We buy NEW blankets, sleeping bags, sweatshirts, socks, toiletries and other sundries, along with gift cards to casual/fast-food restaurants
We wrap stuff
Every item is carefully hand-wrapped by our "elves"
We give stuff
We drive around on Christmas morning and give out the wrapped gifts to anyone who looks like they might want a Christmas present - no questions asked
Mission
We are a local nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area that hand delivers new, wrapped gifts of necessities (blankets, toiletry kits, rain gear) to homeless persons on Christmas Day.
We believe everyone should feel loved and cared for, and have their dignity honored and affirmed.
Why? Because it's Christmas.
FAQS
Why do this?
Because it's Christmas.
Why new stuff? What about gently used or recycled items?
While it's admirable to re-use or re-purpose perfectly good used items, there is something special and deeply gratifying about opening a new, wrapped gift. We believe the newness - and the wrapping - plays a key role in our mission. Used items can be viewed as unwanted, which even if well-intentioned and useful, can diminish the recipient's dignity. Moreover, giving someone a used, unwrapped item could feel like charity to the recipient. But on Christmas Day, giving and receiving new, wrapped gifts is just a normal part of the day. Our recipients don't have to feel like they are taking charity - they are simply accepting a Christmas gift "because it's Christmas."
Isn't Christmas Day the one day when services are abundant for people who need them?
This is part of what makes us different - we don't set up a service that people have to come to. We go out into the community and find people where they are - typically on the streets. These are the people who are most likely to have been left behind, and who might not have anywhere they can go (or who might not have the resources to get there). So, we meet them where they are.
How do you choose who receives a gift?
Usually it's obvious. We leave at first light on Christmas morning. Typically the only people you see out at that time are the folks who have nowhere else to go, and no one to give them anything at Christmas. We offer gifts to anyone who wants them, no questions asked, and we give until we run out of gifts.
Are you a nonprofit?
Yes, but we do not yet have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status - we're working on it.
How do I make a donation or get more involved?
We're not currently set up to accept donations, but we're working on that. If you want to learn more, feel free to send us an email. We tend to get pretty busy around the holidays, so response times might be slow, but we'd love to hear from you!