You’re Invited!
Christmas in July Drop-in & Drop-off event!
Saturday, july 19th, 2024 | 10am - 12:30pm
cfk homebase | 5835 executive center drive, ste 100, charlotte, nc 28212
Registration coming soon
How does it work and what can I expect?
Purchase a “WANT” and/or a “NEED” for kids in foster care (see wish lists below).
Join us on July 19th to drop in and drop off your unwrapped gifts.
While you're here engage in hands-on service activities that support kids in foster care. Activities are suitable for all ages! We will have holiday treats and giveaways, too!
Engage your whole family or group of friends/co-workers as you create a lasting impact for vulnerable kids in just one afternoon of holiday fun.
FAQ’s
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Yes! We can’t wait to engage your whole family. The service projects we have scheduled for the day are appropriate for all ages and designed to engage even the littlest “CFK Champions”.
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No. Foster care is such a fluid situation and we cannot predict which children will be in care or where they will be living by Christmas time. Our wish-lists are designed to help you purchase our top requested needs and items by both the kids themselves and their social workers who shop for them during Merry Market in December. Read more about the programs these gifts will support below.
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Christmas in July serves two purposes. The first is to give your entire family or group of friends/co-workers an opportunity to come serve and engage in all four of CFK’s pathways in one afternoon. The second is to help support CFK’s Merry Market event in December which provides gifts to kids in foster care during the holidays. For some, the gifts received through Merry Market will be the only gifts they receive all year. Read more about Merry Market below!
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Please leave the gifts unwrapped as they will be displayed during our Merry Market for social workers to come “shop” for the kids on their caseloads in December.
Thank you to our 2024 Partners!
We are so thankful for our community and church partners who are hosted toy drives for Christmas in July!
Are you a business, church, or other organization interested in hosting a larger gift drive to support ‘Christmas in July’?
EMAIL: PARTNER@CFKNC.ORG and our team will get you set up with everything you need to advertise and run your drive.
“WANTS & NEEDS” WISH LISTS
All items collected through our Christmas in July event will go directly to youth in the foster care system through our Merry Market event in December or through our Landing Platform program.
We’ve made your shopping easier and created lists of our top requested wants & needs from over the years! If you can’t make it on July 19th, we created an Amazon wishlist (coming soon) so you can have gifts sent straight to our office.
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Did you know that there are over 40 schools in CMS alone that require school uniforms? This is often a big need for kids entering foster care if they are switching school. Our most requested school uniform items are: Uniform polos - white/navy and khaki shorts/pants in Girls and Boys size Small through XL as well as Men/Women sizes Small/Med/Large.
Underwear- Boys/Girls 6-16
Underwear - Women/Men S-L.
Sports bras, all sizes
Kids summer (warm weather) pajamas - all sizes, infant through teen.
Grocery and gas gift cards ($50 increments work best)
Sweatshirts for teens, all sizes (Name brand preferred: Champion, Nike, Addidas, etc.)
Spanish/English children’s books
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INFANTS/BABIES
Multi-ethnic dolls
Sorting/nesting/stacking/shape toys, blocks
Pull/push/musical toys, V-tech, electronic education toys
PRE-SCHOOL/KIDS
Multi-ethnic dolls & Barbies, especially those where you can style their hair
Educational, interactive toys or science kits
Bikes, ride-on toys, scooters
Sturdy cars or trucks, remote control cars and trucks
Role play toys (kitchen sets, dress-up costumes, workshops & tools, lawn keeping)
Action/superhero figures, animal/dinosaur figures and play sets (Esp. TV & movie characters like Marvel, DC, Paw Patrol, Doc McStuffins, Disney Princess, Elmo, Mickey Mouse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers etc.)
Building blocks & construction sets, Legos
YOUTH/TEENS
Arts/crafts supplies, kits (e.g., tie-dying, candle-making, jewelry-making, etc.)
Hair accessories (bands, bows), make up, cosmetics, lip gloss, fragrance & cologne (men's and women's)
Cool lamps and bedroom décor, LED light strips
Hoop earrings, fake eyelashes, nail polish
Headphones, wireless earbuds, mp3 players, Blutooth speaker
Electronic drawing pads
Pokemon Cards
Journals, notebooks, drawing or sketching supplies
Decorative pillows, blankets
Fanny packs, small purses, small backpacks, sling bags
Water bottles (name-brand)
Jewelry for teens
ALL
Puzzles & games for all ages
Crafts & art supplies
Sporting goods and accessories, balls, outdoor play items
Bikes, skates, roller blades, skateboards, scooters and helmets/pads
2025 GOAL:
Because every child deserves to celebrate and be celebrated!
Learn more about
Merry Market serves as a resource for front-line social workers and gives them an opportunity to hand-select holiday gifts for the children and youth on their caseload. It is our hope that the gifts selected for each child will give the social worker another opportunity for connection as they navigate building trust and rapport in very difficult situations while bringing joy and dignity to each child in foster care during the holidays.
Items collected during Christmas in July will support Merry Market in December and directly impact kids in foster care.
“[Merry Market] was absolutely the best experience that I have been able to take a part in. I was able to shop for my kids that were in need.”
Take a look at Last year’s Merry Market
PARENT RESOURCES
Christmas in July is designed to engage the whole family in serving vulnerable children. The activities and information presented is suitable for all ages! However, we know that engaging with CFK can bring up some tough questions for your kids. We wanted to help give you some common language that you can use as you navigate how to discuss foster care with your family. The questions below are posed from “the child’s” perspective.
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All kids deserve to be safe and cared for. Sometimes parents aren't able to do these things and so other families called foster families open up their homes for the child to stay until their parents get the help they need.
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Foster care is temporary, while adoption is forever.
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The goal is always to get kids back with their families as soon as it's safe, healthy, and possible. Sometimes that takes a few months and other times it can take up to two years. The average for a child staying in care in our area ia about 1.5 - 2 years.
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Most of the time, when parents need support there are other family members - grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and trusted neighbors that can offer help. Foster care is only necessary when there is no other support to be found in the child's community.
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Pray for them.
Meet tangible needs through CAREnow.
Serve as a volunteer.
Your family can be encouragers for social workers through our Socialight program.
Looking for more resources?
Click below to view three incredible devotionals about foster care through a Biblical lens. Walk through these studies with your Community and family.
From the Father's Heart to the Church’s Hands: What the Bible says about caring for the vulnerable
This 9-session study was designed to trace a theme through the entirety of God's Word and is meant to be completed in community with fellow believers.
Foster Care Family Guide (Older Elementary)
This 5-day family devotional guides you through teaching your older elementary children about foster care and how to pray for children and families impacted by foster care in our community.
Foster Care Family Guide (Preschool - 2nd Grade)
This 5-day family devotional guides you through teaching your younger children about foster care and how to pray for children and families impacted by foster care in our community.
Materials adapted from The Call in Arkansas