This Christmas Season, we have the opportunity to make the holiday very special for the group of 13-21 year old homeless mothers and children served by New Moms, Inc.  On Saturday, December 13th, we will celebrate the holidays with our annual Christmas Gala, which provides many opportunities for people to share their time, talents, and gifts.  The Christmas Gala is an event that our participants and children look forward to every year, because it is often the first time that many of them will celebrate Christmas as a family.  It also marks the kickoff of our annual Christmas Store, a week-long shopping experience for participants, to buy presents for their children.

During the Gala, we have professional photographs taken of each family, something our participants could not otherwise afford.  We host a Christmas Carnival in our on-site gymnasium, and provide attendees a catered dinner.  We wrap up our celebration with a church service which families are encouraged to attend.

Volunteer opportunities on the day of the event include: helping out at our registration table; coat check; on-site childcare facility; and dinner service.  Before and after the event, we will need help with decorating and clean-up, as well as in the Christmas store.

The Christmas Store is one way that we reward our participants for being responsible throughout the year.  They earn “points” by keeping appointments, making sure their children are up to date with immunizations, attending parent support group meetings, and re-enrolling in school, among other ways.  The Christmas store allows participants to cash in up to 60 points per child, to buy new toys and clothing for their children.  We always have a great need for new, age-appropriate, non gift-wrapped toys and clothing, and we would love any help you might be able to provide. 

The children we serve range in age from newborn through age 5, and are pretty evenly split between boys and girls.  Collecting toys is always one of the most difficult tasks surrounding Christmas, but the toys provide great joy for our young families.  Not only are the children thrilled to receive new toys, but their young mothers are also proud that they were able to earn the gifts. 

The Christmas Store is open from 9-12 am and 1-4 pm from December 15th through December 20th, and we need volunteers to help us throughout that week. 

Toy donations must arrive by December 10th at the latest.

The Gala will be held Saturday, December 13th, and begin at 10:00 am, at our main offices, located at 2825 W McLean Ave. in Chicago.  If you are planning to volunteer, please plan to arrive around 8:00 am.

For more information about how you can help, by volunteering or donating toys please contact Brian Genzink at 773.252.3253 ext. 33, or send an email to bgenzink@newmomsinc.org.