81 Days Until...
Don't worry, you still have a little more than 11 weeks to be prepared for Christmas! However, for our CSL locations, the Christmas season begins in full swing the Monday after our Luminous Gala (Monday, November 5). Why is that?
Christmas Stores at seven of our locations open their doors the week of December 10, so gift and meal counts are finalized by the week of December 3, which means we need all collections to be wrapping (pun intended!) up right after Thanksgiving. A good collection lasts 10-15 days, so we have to start our work in earnest right after the gala is over!
CSL projects to help Santa Claus deliver more than 10,000 Christmas presents to our neighboring kids, and support families with more than 2,000 Christmas meal baskets. Like everything we do at CSL, it takes a community-wide effort to support such a huge endeavor. So, how can you help?
Host a collection - you can host a drive to collect Christmas toys and/or meal items at your place of work, your church, your neighborhood, your civic organization, your school, or anywhere else! Please contact Jessica Kelsey at (816) 912-4490 or kelseyj@cslcares.org to become a 2018 Christmas Collection Partner! We will assist your effort by providing you a CSL collection barrel you can proudly display to show your support for our neighboring families.
Make a cash contribution - for $100, you can support Christmas for an entire family! Make your 2018 Christmas gift now! The Holidays are stressful. By making a gift now, you can enjoy the good feeling that you've helped a local family all season long!
Buy toys for our Christmas Stores - check out our website which lists popular gift ideas, and our most-need gift items, in the range of $10-$15.
Shop for Christmas meal items - our website lists meal kit items that we give to families. Items are provided to families through a packaged meal kit and/or through one of our food pantries.
Encourage families to seek assistance - at CSL, we like families to come in proactively, before life's hiccups become a major issue. Helping families navigate the Holiday season, while making good financial choices, is a win-win for everyone. Refer someone seeking assistance to a CSL office today.
In advance, we appreciate your support in making the 2018 Holiday season one that is bright and merry for all our neighbors, and we wish you and yours the happiest of holidays!
