Human Services
You Can Be a Secret Santa This Holiday Season!
Dear Friends,
How to be a Secret Santa…Mail or hand deliver gift cards Individual cards should not exceed $50, but you can donate as many cards as you like. Cards may be designated for a particular beneficiary group or left undesignated. Undesignated gift cards are especially welcome and will be used where they're needed most. Include the value of the gift card (if it's not printed on the card), a return address so we can acknowledge your gift, and a beneficiary designation if you choose one. Please submit cards by Dec. 18. Late-arriving cards will still be accepted. We welcome donations from individuals, businesses, and groups. Questions? Contact Kurt Larrick at 703-228-1775.
Thank You! |
Are you interested in making the holiday season a little happier for some of Arlington's most vulnerable residents? The Department of Human Services' Secret Santa Program helps more than 1,000 individuals each year -- and we need your help to provide kids in foster care, people with disabilities, low-income seniors and low-income families with a little something extra this holiday season.
Please consider donating gift cards that can be distributed to some of the community's neediest people:
Children in Foster Care: Existing resources don’t even begin to meet the needs of foster children, generally one of the neediest populations. A good winter coat could consume half of the state subsidy a child in foster care receives each year. Your contribution of a gift card will help bring a happy holiday to these deserving kids.
People with Disabilities: Residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities or mental illness face employment obstacles and stigma that limit their earning power. Giving a disabled person a gift card they can use to purchase items of their choosing provides an empowering experience.
Seniors with Low Incomes: County nurses and social workers care for many older adults in the community whose conditions make it difficult for them to leave their homes. Many of these seniors have medical needs and very low incomes. The Secret Santa program prioritizes seniors who are very poor or have no family in the area.
Families with Low Incomes: To qualify for federal benefits like food stamps, a family of four living in Arlington must make less than $28668. Sounds impossible — yet more than 3,000 households in Arlington receive food stamps right now.
Recommendation: Consider gift cards from nearby department stores such as Target, K-Mart or Wal-Mart, or shopping mall gift cards that can be used at local malls. For low-income families, choose gift cards from local grocery stores. Gifts cards should not exceed $50 each, but you can submit as many as you like.
Interested in exploring other ways to help those in need this holiday season? Visit the Arlington County Volunteer Center website at:
