shadow

Donors / Sponsors FAQs

 

FAQ: Donors/Sponsors

How can I help?
There are several ways that you can help. All will make a difference in the lives of children in Box Elder County!

  •  Donate money – We use EVERY PENNY that we receive for the purchase of gifts for children in need in Box Elder County. Please complete a pledge form and mail with your donation to Utah State University Brigham City (265 W. 1100 S. Brigham City, UT 84302.) Checks should be made to the order of: Utah State University Brigham City, Attn: Angels for Christmas.
  •  Donate gifts – We are in need of toys, clothing, and other gifts for children of all ages.  Particularly needed are items for older children, ages 10-18, as these children are less likely to be “adopted.” Other highly needed items include coats and outerwear, shoes, socks, underwear, and pajamas. Please drop off your new, unwrapped gifts to Utah State University Brigham City Faculty Center located at 265 West 1100 South in Brigham City anytime before December 18. Your gifts will be most helpful if dropped off prior to December 11, but we will be distributing gifts through December 19.
  •  "Adopt" a child or a family – We will provide you with a list of four specific "needs" and one "wish" that has been requested for each child.  We ask that you return these unwrapped gifts to the USU Brigham City Regional Campus by Friday, December 11. Limited opportunity for “adoption” will be available after December 11 for distribution to families on Saturday, December 19.
  • Sponsor an Angel Tree – We will supply you with a number of angels of your choosing. Each angel will be marked with a child’s requested gift. These angels are to be displayed on your Christmas tree. Patrons and/or employees may take an angel, purchase the gift listed, and return it to you unwrapped. You would then deliver these gifts, with their corresponding angel tag attached, to Utah State University Brigham City Regional Campus by Friday, December 11th for distribution.
  • Serve as a drop-off location for donations – We will provide you with posters to display in the windows of your business and/or organization.  We ask that you provide a box in which customers can place new, unwrapped gifts of toys, clothing, outerwear, shoes, etc. We ask that you monitor the drop-box to prevent the donation of used items. With your permission we will publicize your location for maximum utilization. You might also choose to keep your location private for exclusive use by your employees and/or customers. Angels for Christmas volunteers will regularly collect items from drop-boxes.
  • Spread the word – Please let your friends, family, and colleagues know about Angels for Christmas. Even small donations of inexpensive clothing or toys will make a huge difference!

How much of my donation will be used for overhead and how much will be used to purchase gifts for children?
Every single penny that we receive will be used to purchase gifts for children in need in Box Elder County. Utah State University Brigham City and other community partners absorb the cost of administering the program each year so all donations will directly benefit the children.

I’ve picked up an angel from one of the Angels for Christmas trees. The gift requested is “Jeans, 5-year-old boy.” How many pairs of jeans should I buy?  
You are welcome to donate as many items as you would like, however, each child will only receive five gifts (4 “needs” and 1 “wish.”) Multiple gifts attached to a single angel will be re-distributed to children whose needs have not yet been met. This ensures that all children are helped and eliminates the possibility that one child will receive more gifts than another child within a family. Your generosity will be most meaningful by choosing additional angels (single gifts), or by adopting additional children or families. 

Can I wrap my gift?
In the past Angels for Christmas has asked that gifts be returned wrapped. We now request that your gifts are returned unwrapped. Many parents, although grateful for your generosity, unwrap gifts in order to ensure that there are no “unpleasant surprises” on Christmas morning (ex. one child receives more gifts than another in the same family, or a child was mistakenly given gifts for the wrong gender or in the wrong sizes).  Also, as Angels for Christmas has grown substantially over the past several years, the number of wrapped gifts that are mislabeled or missing a label or angel has increased. This necessitates the unwrapping and re-wrapping of the package in order to ensure that the gift is distributed to the correct family.  In order to appropriately address these issues, we unfortunately must now request that gifts are turned in unwrapped. We realize that for many donors, the wrapping is very much a part of the gift and adds a personal touch. You are welcome and encouraged to donate wrapping items (paper, bags, tissue, gift labels, tape, etc.) that will be distributed to the families so that parents may wrap the gifts prior to Christmas morning.

I’ve “adopted” an Angels for Christmas child. How much should I plan to spend on their gifts?
The general guideline is approximately $50/child. Infants and young children tend to be slightly less than $50 and older children tend to be slightly more. This provides a very modest holiday, but allows us to help as many children as possible.

What if the child I have “adopted’ has asked for a gift that is more expensive than what I can afford?
Please do not hesitate to substitute an expensive gift for something age-appropriate for the child in need. When possible we like to “grant wishes”, but most importantly we don’t want any child to go empty-handed.

Can I donate used items?
We ask that all items donated are new and in good condition. Occasionally we do receive donations of “like new” items that are distributed to families.  This is particularly true of the more expensive gift wishes of our older children. However, the receipt of items that are not in perfect condition drains time and monetary resources from Angels for Christmas.

What about food for families in need?
Angels for Christmas partners with the Box Elder Community Food Pantry to provide a holiday meal for families that request our assistance. All donations of food that we receive are given to the Pantry. If you would like to donate food you may contact Linda Hansen at 435-723-1449. The Pantry is located at 272 North 200 West in Brigham City.

Who will receive assistance through Angels for Christmas?
All donations are given to families in Box Elder County. Children aged newborn – 17 are eligible for assistance. High school seniors who have reached their 18th birthday are also eligible. 

Are families screened to verify financial need?
Yes! Applications will not be processed unless they are signed by an approved service agency or ecclesiastic leader providing assistance to the family. These approved delegates have screening measures already in place that determine financial need.

Can families receive assistance from more than one source?
We do all that we can to eliminate duplication of efforts. This is increasingly important as the number of applications we receive multiplies annually. We ask families to sign a statement that they will not apply for holiday assistance (toys, shoes, clothes, etc.) from any source other than Angels for Christmas (other than the obvious exception of food that they may receive.) Furthermore, we have access to a number of local and state-wide databases to cross-check family addresses and applications for assistance. We also ask that individual or smaller assistance programs contact Angels for Christmas to cross-check the family names for whom they are providing gifts. Whenever possible, we invite and encourage other assistance programs to join with Angels for Christmas in providing gifts for needy families.

What is the history behind Angels for Christmas?
Angels for Christmas was started by the Utah State University Brigham City Student Government in 2003. The goal was to help a couple of families of students attending USU BC. The program quickly expanded with the number of children applying and the number of donations received multiplying each year. In 2008 nearly 1200 children were helped.

Who is in charge of the Angels for Christmas program?
Utah State University Brigham City administers the program each year, with support from community sponsors and partners.

Who do I contact for more information?
Please contact Kiersten Wilson. Phone: 435-734-9958, x285. Email: Kiersten.Wilson@usu.edu.