The Open Door Mission is in need of donations for their Project Santa holiday program. The Mission is calling on the community to help make Christmas brighter for over 6,000 boys and girls.
CEO Candace Gregory tells NewsRadio 1110 KFAB Project Santa has expanded and enhanced its process this year, for the first time. "We're empowering our parents, with respect and dignity, to choose the gifts for their boys and girls. It's been an amazing experience to see families just so grateful for the opportunity to choose what their children would want under the tree on Christmas morning."
Gregory says that there is still a huge need for donations though as they look for between 600-900 items to help fill the estimated need. “Our toy shortfall is bigger than last year due to the Project Santa participation need being larger. We still need hundreds of toys to meet the Project Santa list we have. Children in poverty often take on adult responsibility at a very young age. It is Open Door Mission's desire to bring joy to the poor while empowering families to remain in their own homes and prevent homelessness."
The need is immediate as there is just over a week left before final gift distribution and many of the children in need would otherwise have nothing to open on Christmas Day. Gregory says there is especially a shortfall when it comes to young and teenage boys. "Unfortunately we just don't have enough items to choose from when it comes teenage boys, or boys in general. So for teenage boys we're looking for watches, wallets, ear pods have been the number one item. They don't even have to be a name brand, just any ear pods that they can listen to music to."
Other remaining items needed include:
- Legos (small sets)
- Action Figures
- Play Doh sets
- Sports Balls
- Hot Wheels Sets
- Bookbags
- Alarm clocks
Gregory says over one hundred volunteers are on site daily to sort, stock and be personal shoppers for Project Santa gifts for children throughout the Omaha metro. you can find more details on donating here.