Holiday Gift Program
Launches November 1st, for 6 years running.
Before the pandemic started in March of 2019, many unhoused families were so impoverished that buying nice toys for their children had to be overlooked in favor of paying for food, clothing, and shelter. After the pandemic started the ranks of families that were suddenly facing these same kinds of financial challenges swelled dramatically.
In 2017, Urban Angels SF stepped in with its Annual Holiday Gift Program and has done so for each of the years since then. 140 gifts were handed out in December of 2017. In the following years it was 300, 650, 1,250, 1,500 and 2,000!
Thanks to the generosity of its donors, UASF was able to collect enough to insure the every child received a quality gift at during the holiday season.
The Urban Angels SF donors get all the credit.
Many donors adopt a shelter or part of a shelter and with the support of their familes, neighbors, co-workers, church and other communities, bought and delivered holiday gifts directly to the shelter they chose making the whole experience more personal and gratifying.
Other donors go to the UASF website and use the Gift Registry to buy gifts that are delivered to our office.
And another group of donors donate financially and those funds are used on Black Friday to buy all the remaining gifts needed at special low prices.
Many buy gifts and deliver them to the UASF office in November and the first week of December.
The UASF volunteers sort, organize, WRAP and deliver the gifts to the waiting families in the first two weeks of December, in time for the beginning of the holiday season. Many tears of joy and gratitude are shed during this joyful time.
Adopt-A-Shelter
The popular “Adopt-A-Shelter” opportunity arose in November of 2022 where individuals and groups of friends, classmates, and coworkers adopted a shelter or partially adopted a shelter by committing to deliver a specific number of holiday gifts to a particular shelter. This was a great way for people to have a personal connection with the children who receive their gifts. Learn more about Adopt-A-Shelter.
Why we do the Holiday Gift Program
The Holiday Gift Program raises the spirits of children from these families. The parents who are struggling to pay for food, clothing, and rent often have no room in the budget for gifts for their children.
The Urban Angels SF Holiday Gift Program is a great example of neighbors demonstrating the true spirit of the holidays through unselfish and generous sharing with those who are most innocent and deserving; children from the poorest families.
Donations for this wonderful program are accepted starting November 1st each year.
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2018
Urban Angels SF responded to a request from the project manager at the SF Department of Homelessness to donate unwrapped toys for 140 children ages 2 - 16.
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2019
The number of children seeking gifts increased to 300.
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2020
Due to the difficulties created by the pandemic, Urban Angels SF was asked to deliver gifts to 650 children living in shelters and single-room housing.
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2021
Unhoused residents of 13 shelters and families living at the poverty level indicated a need for gifts for over 1,250 children who would otherwise go without presents that holiday
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2022
Many of us were cautiously excited to be coming out of the restrictions of the pandemic but we soon realized that many of our less fortunate neighbors were still lagging far behind in terms of recovering and recouping their losses. This year USAF delivered a record 2,000 holiday gifts to happy children.
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Each year Urban Angels SF was able to deliver gifts to all these children.
Three Ways to Donate
Buy Online
Purchase toys online to have sent to our office! Registry here.
Make a Donation
Click here to make your tax-deductible donation which we will use to buy needed toys for you! (Use the “Designation” field to let us know your donation is for the Toy Drive!)
Drop Off a Gift
Drop off gifts between November 1 and December 10 at the Urban Angels SF office at 5228 Diamond Heights Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94131
Or,
Drop off a gift at Rainbow Grocery (1745 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103) between November 22 - December 24 and receive a 15% off coupon towards a future purchase (coupons valid for January purchases).
Donation Levels
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$5000
100 Gifts
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$1000
20 Gifts
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$500
10 Gifts
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$100
2 Gifts
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$50
1 Gift