What is Secret Families Christmas Charity?
Secret Families Christmas Charity of Hamilton County is a non-profit organization that provides Christmas for families in our area who otherwise would not have one. Families must have school-age children and are referred to Secret Families Christmas Charity of Hamilton County through through the local public elementary school principals and counselors. Without the generosity of our donors, supporters, and volunteers, these families otherwise would not have presents under the tree Christmas morning.
What Does “One Story at a Time” Mean?
Each family served by Secret Families Christmas Charity of Hamilton County touches has a story. It may be a family who is struggling financially due to mounting medical bills following a serious illness. Or it might be a single mother whose employer downsized and she finds herself between jobs over the holiday season. In other cases, it’s a family experiencing hardship due to unforeseen circumstances like a house fire or medical expenses. Regardless of the reasons, Secret Families Christmas Charity of Hamilton County, in partnership with the local school districts, businesses, and hundreds of volunteers, provides help and hope to each family served at Christmas. We believe that Christmas is truly Christmas when we celebrate it by sharing the light of Love to those who need it.
What We Do for Sponsored Families:
- Provide a lighted, decorated Christmas tree
- Provide presents for the entire family – each one purchased for a specific family member and carefully wrapped by volunteers
- Provide a $50 Meijer gift card to each family to purchase Christmas dinner
- Provide a Bible for the family
- Provide an in-kind bag of household and personal care items
How did Secret Families begin?
In December of 2004, Chris and Al Holdren decided to not buy presents for each other for Christmas and instead use the money to provide a family in need with a tree and presents for the holidays. Now, 16 years later, Secret Families has provided all the Christmas essentials to a total of 2,720 families and on a yearly basis provides Christmas for around 350 to 400 families in the Delaware County area of school-aged children every year who otherwise probably would not have a Christmas
Watch this short video to learn more about how Secret Families was started.