Holiday Gift Drive
Give hope and joy to the children of Bradley this holiday season!
Many children who live at Bradley have sadly never known the joy of receiving the holiday gifts they asked for. This happiness and excitement, which we may take for granted in our own lives, can have a tremendous impact on a child’s identity and sense of self-worth.
This is why, every December, The Bradley Center team works tirelessly to make sure every child gets to experience the joyful magic of the holidays — but we can’t do it without your help.
It all starts when each Bradley Center child creates a personal gift wishlist. Then volunteers select a child’s nametag from our tree and make that child’s wishlist dreams come true. Individual volunteers often choose to serve as a gift-giver for one or two kids, while organizations often request multiple nametags. Thanks to this team effort, no child’s holiday request is ever overlooked.
What Happens After the Wishlists Are Complete?
While some volunteers acquire the wishlist items, other volunteers and donors help create a pop-up holiday gift shop where the kids can “buy” personal gifts for their families and loved ones, using donated funds. This helps ensure that every child at the Bradley Center learns the value of both receiving and giving.
Once all the gifts have been collected, our volunteers’ biggest job begins: wrapping hundreds of individual presents. Each year, our volunteers wrap over 1000 gifts for the children and over 1200 gifts for their families!
This makes December one of the busiest months at The Bradley Center, but also one of the most rewarding for our staff, volunteers, and residents. For children who have never been away from their families during the holidays, or who may feel lonely or homesick, our holiday gift drive brings joy to their lives and helps kids start to believe in the magic of possibility.
To volunteer as a gift-giver or a gift-wrapper, please contact us. (We can always use more help!)
A Special Note for Area Families in Need
Due to an unfortunate error in some holiday gift guides, The Bradley Center is sometimes incorrectly listed as an organization that provides toys or gifts for local children in the greater Pittsburgh community. This is not true. However, we do hope that all children can enjoy the holiday spirit. Any families who need extra help during the holidays are encouraged to visit the Salvation Army or Toys for Tots.
