Q: What is the Holiday Gift Program?
A: This wonderful outreach has been a community gift-giving tradition since 1980. The effort supports over 500 families each year. Interfaith Outreach client families requesting holiday gift assistance are matched with community sponsors who anonymously provide gifts. Learn more about sponsoring and shopping for a family, or sign up to sponsor today!
Q: Who receives the gifts I’m giving?
A: Low-income families living in the Interfaith Outreach service area (Plymouth, Long Lake, Wayzata, Hamel, Medina, Medicine Lake, Minnetonka Beach and Orono) who receive services from Interfaith Outreach are eligible to participate. Learn more about who you help.
Q: What kind of families and individuals participate?
A: Participating families range in size and include singles and seniors; small, medium, large, and multi-generational families. Learn more about who you help.
Q: When should I sign up to sponsor?
A: It happens early! Registration opens in September, and runs through Oct. 31! View more important Holiday Gift dates, and sign up to sponsor today!
Q: How do I know what to buy and how much should I spend?
A: Sponsors are provided specific gift ideas from the client families, based on a $50-per-person guideline. Sponsors are not expected to purchase all suggestions, but can choose the ones that they prefer within the $50-per-person guideline. View and download our Holiday Gift toolkit for more details.
Q: When do I drop off my gifts?
A: The “Big Weekends” sponsors drop off the gifts are Friday, Dec. 6, 3:30-8 p.m. or Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Client families pick up the gifts that Sunday! View more important Holiday Gift dates. Volunteers will be available to accept gifts during these times only unless alternate arrangements have been made with Interfaith Outreach Community Engagement staff. View and download our Holiday Gift toolkit for more details about gift drop-off.
Q: What else should I know about sponsoring?
A: Download our Holiday Gift toolkit for all the details, or learn more about how it works and who you help.
