Support Christopher House Families this Holiday Season

Christopher House serves hundreds of families through our family of schools located in the Belmont Cragin, Uptown, and Logan Square neighborhoods. This year, YOU have the power to brighten the holidays for our children and families.

2023 Family-to-Family Holiday Giving Program

The Family-to-Family holiday giving program is a heartwarming initiative that embodies the true spirit of community, generosity, and compassion. Each year, members of our Christopher House community purchase gift, gift cards, and pantry staples for our children and families. Last year, thanks to the generosity of our friends and supports, we supported 465 Christopher House families.

Show your support for the Christopher House community and sign up to sponsor a family this holiday season! 

Family-to-Family Frequently Asked Questions

What is Family to Family?

To make the holidays a little brightermembers of our Christopher House community purchase gifts, gift cards, and pantry staples for Christopher House families. Supporters in our community are matched with a Christopher House family and purchase items from a wish list provided by each family. 

I’m interested in participating! How does Family to Family work?

On behalf of all of us at Christopher House, thank you for your interest! Please see below for next steps on how to get involved:

  1. For individuals, please complete this online registration form. For companies or groups, please complete this online registration form.
  2. Beginning in October, Christopher House will anonymously match you or your organization with families identified using a unique code. Matches are made based on the number of families and family size you request on the registration form. After a match has been made, we will contact you via email with your matched family’s unique code and holiday list. 
  3. All purchased items should be new, wrapped, and fit into one large bag. Please make sure that gifts are clearly labeled with your family’s unique code. For the health and safety of Christopher House families, we are unable to accept any used items.
  4. We encourage donors to purchase gift cards in lieu of wrapped gifts to support dignity of choice for our families. 
  5. Drop off gifts at our designated drop off sites on the listed dates and times (see questions below).
  6. Sign up for a drop off date during initial registration.
  7. To receive an in-kind donation acknowledgment letter, complete this form.
      What are the drop-off dates?

      Please bring your wrapped gifts to one of our locations listed below:

      Logan Square (3255 W Altgeld St)

      • Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
      • Saturday, December 9, 2023 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
      • Tuesday, December 12, 2023 from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

      Division Admin Office (1611 W Division St, STE 207)

      • Wednesday, December 6, 2023 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
      What if I cannot make the drop-off date?

      We do ask that you try to drop-off gifts during our drop off datesIf special circumstances prevent you from making the drop-off date, please contact holiday@christopherhouse.org 

      I am a single parent and is it possible to be matched with a single-family household ?

      We will do our absolute best to match you with a family based on your requests.  

      I want to be matched with one family but I might want to add another. Is it possible to add another family if I change my mind?

      All matches are made at a first come, first served basis. If you are matched with a family but decide later that you would like to be matched with an additional family, we are happy to accommodate your request if there are families waiting to be matched at the time of your request. 

      I would like to purchase a gift card for groceries. Which stores are best?

      We recommend AldiJewel, Tony’s, and Walmart. Please be advised that we are unable to accept e-gift cards (electronic gift cards) at this time. Please ensure that gift cards are labeled with your family code to ensure that they can be delivered to the correct Christopher House family. 

      Will I be receiving a tax acknowledgement letter for my donation?

      If you would like to receive a tax acknowledgement receipt that includes the estimated value of your donation, please fill out this form.

      If you wish to mail in this form via paper copy, please mail it to:

      Christopher House 
      Attention: External Affairs 
      1611 W Division St Ste 207 
      Chicago, IL 60622 

      Will I be able to meet the family I am matched with on the gift drop-off day?

      To protect the privacy of our Christopher House families, there will not be an opportunity to meet families in-person. Our policy is that we do not share personal information between Christopher House families and supporters. We thank you for your understanding of this request from our families.   

      What are other ways can I help Christopher House families this holiday season?

      Christopher House welcomes monetary donations in support of our scholars and families. Click here to make a gift today! 

      If you are interested in other ways to give, please contact our Director of External Affairs, Tihela Feit, at tfeit@christopherhouse.org

      On behalf of all of us at Christopher House, we thank you for your generous support of our scholars and their families.

      Christopher House
      5235 W. Belden Ave.
      Chicago, IL 60639