How It Started

This project started in 2015 when my children were at Cotswold Elementary.  I wanted to give a holiday "party with a purpose" with a few friends.  The counselors at the school led a program called The Angel Tree Project (possibly a spin-off of the Salvation Army's Angel Tree.)  At the time, the program wasn't well-known, and my friends and I were not familiar.  I asked some friends if they wanted to sponsor a few kids and bring the gifts to my house and we wrapped the gifts all together.  I love to organize things/events so I managed the sign ups and communications between my friends and the counselors.  It was so fun that we added several more kids the next year (2016) and asked my daughter, Ella, to help wrap gifts late into the night.  She was in second grade at the time and had a blast staying up late and helping.  I realized how impactful it was to have her be a part of it.   

The next year (2017), we added several more children and invited more people to join the fun.  We engaged several of Ella's friends who took leadership roles in the project by greeting and directing guests, wrapping HUNDREDS of gifts and organizing it all to make sure the right gifts went to the right person, which is no small feat.  We call them our "Elves" and they were quite merry in their "workshop".  

For several years, the project got bigger and more children were sponsored.  The "Elves" wrapped hundreds and hundreds of gifts.  We always wondered if the parents would like to see what their child is getting and questioned the wrapping.  In 2019, our fifth year, we piloted a new idea with a group at Billingsville-Cotswold Elementary by providing wrapping materials along with the gifts so that parents could know what their children were receiving and feel some ownership and joy in the process by wrapping the gifts themselves with the provided materials.  The feedback was positive, so we stuck with it!

It's been TEN years now, and each year I'm moved to tears seeing how our community comes together to support our neighbors in need.  Many families make this project part of their family traditions - having their children shop for their peers.  It's a learning opportunity and a way to build empathy, compassion and understanding.  It can be very impactuful knowing you're helping a specific child in our community.  The recipients are all anonymous, but sponsors know they are, for example, a second grade girl at Lansdowne Elementary who wears a size 6, loves the color purple, and wishes for a Barbie doll.

I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting this project.  There are so many wonderful ways to give back, especially during the holidays, and I appreciate your participation in this project.

With many thanks and joy and hope,

Chief Elf Elizabeth