Christmas at Children's Home

Christmas is the season of giving. It’s a time of year when we can focus on bringing joy and peace to others. This Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we will have 26 children at BHCH and 39 at SFCH. Our Shelter for Family Safety served between 80-90 clients a day this past Thanksgiving. As we get closer to Christmas, we are anticipating an increase in Shelter clients. These 135-155 people in our care are children, women and men who need love, joy and peace the most.

As Board Members, you may get approached on how people can help Children's Home Society during Christmas or throughout the year. Each campus at CHS—BHCH, SFCH and Shelter for Family Safety—has its own Christmas Wish List. Click here to see the lists and contact information of the people in charge of receiving donations.

Giving isn’t always about a physical gift or monetary donation. Giving one’s time is just as special and meaningful. CHS offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities and, there are a few unique ways that you can help bring joy to the vulnerable children and families we serve.

Upcoming Christmas events include:

• SFCH: The North Pole Gift Wrapping on December 16
• BHCH: The Owen School Christmas Program on December 18
• Sioux Falls: Gift Wrap Booth at the Empire Mall on December 18
• BHCH: Gift-wrapping assistance on December 19

For more information contact, please contact Erica Krohn 605-965-3125 or erica.krohn@chssd.org. Below you will find a list of volunteer opportunities on both sides of the state.

Black Hills Volunteer Opportunities

If you would like to participate in any of these Black Hills opportunities, please contact Theresa Schreiner 605-393-4297 or theresa.schreiner@chssd.org, or Abby Sharp 605-393-4298 or abby.sharp@chssd.org.

🎄Host donation collections AND share this information with other groups who may be interested in helping CHS this Christmas.

Most needed donations as of today:

• New winter coats in Boys and Girls Toddler sizes 2T, 3T, 4T and youth sizes 5, 6, 8, 10, 12
• New winter coasts in adult size XL, XXL and XXXL for larger teens served through CHS Community Based Programs and Child Advocacy Center
• Craft and Science kits for pre-teens
• Art Sets & Sketch Pads
• Scrapbooking stickers and papers for kids
• Acrylic Paints and 5” x 7” or 8” x 10” canvas
• Etch-A-Sketches and pocket Etch-A-Sketches
• Rubik’s Cubes
• G-rated DVDs
• Batteries—especially AA and AAA
• Birthday treat bag size play PlayDoh: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087N9N6HH/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2Q1LRYTXHYQ2K&psc=1

Entire donation wish list for all Children’s Home Programs in the Black Hills: https://chssd.org/pdfs/FND162_WISHLIST_XMAS24_BHCH_8.5x11.pdf

🎄Christmas Baking: Schedule your group to bake bars and cookies for our Santa visit. We would love 6 dozen treats to be delivered to Theresa at our 1330 Jolly Lane location in Rapid Valley on December 12, and our new building at 5301 Mount Rushmore Road on Thursday, December 19.

🎄Double-thickness, 60” x 100” Fleece Tie Blankets:  Donate the fleece and create tie blankets for the children served by CHS in the Black Hills. A & B Business Solutions always need additional blankets for programs in the Black Hills.

🎄Bake treats and create special staff thank you bags for staff working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Deliver 44 staff treat bags to Theresa on or before December 20(1330 Jolly Lane). Treat bags could contain goodies, Gatorade or soda, coffee gift cards, stress balls, fidgets, encouraging notes. These are for staff who will spend Christmas Eve/Christmas Day with children served at BHCH and away from their own families. Could have more than one group take this project.

🎄Adopting/shopping for single mom and two children ages 5 and 7: approximately $150. (Contact Theresa for specific wishes.)

🎄Adopting/shopping for single mom and two children ages 3 and 6: approximately $150. (Contact Theresa for specific wishes.)

🎄Shopping for Christmas décor for each of the four classrooms at BHCH: $75 for each classroom at Owen School.

🎄Shopping for donation wish list items for each of the four classrooms: $250 for each classroom at Owen school.

If your group would like to be added to our “occasional volunteer list” for event preparation projects (projects are business hours) and working fundraising events (events are evening and weekend hours), please visit with Abby or Theresa.

Sioux Falls Volunteer Opportunities

If you would like to participate in any of these Sioux Falls opportunities, please contact Faron Lais at 605-965-3101 or faron.lais@chssd.org, or Madeline Mortimore at 605-338-0116  or madeline.mortimore@chssd.org. If you would like to volunteer for the Board shift at the Gift Wrap Booth, please contact Gina Hopkins at 605-351-0269.

🎄DATE: December 16. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Three people needed from 9 a.m.-noon. DESCRIPTION: North Pole Gift Wrapping. Wrap the children’s Christmas Eve and Christmas morning presents.

🎄DATE: December 18, from 5-7 p.m. DESCRIPTION: Join other Board Members in wrapping Christmas gifts for shopper at the Gift Wrap Booth in the Empire Mall. The proceeds help Shelter for Family Safety.

🎄DATE: Ongoing. DESCRIPTION: Boutique Associate at Shelter.  Process donations, stock, organize and maintain inventory of the boutique and provide customer service to clients. Associates commit to one 2-hour shift per week.

🎄DATE: Monday-Friday, 4-5 p.m. DESCRIPTION: Receptionist at Shelter. Volunteers at the reception desk open doors, assist visitors, answer phones, route callers and distribute messages. They will also record in-kind donations and make sure security standards are consistently maintained.