Providing Christmas morning for children and young adults in need.

Project Elf

It’s that time of year again—Project Elf is here!

A huge thank you to all our incredible donors who supported us last holiday season. Thanks to you, we helped 3,068 children enjoy a Merry Christmas!

Each holiday season, The Christmas Box International fills Santa’s sleigh for children, teens, and young adults in our community who have experienced abuse, neglect, or homelessness. Project Elf offers fun and meaningful ways for businesses, individuals, families, and community groups to brighten the holidays for those in need. Every child deserves a Christmas!

HOLIDAY VOLUNTEERING

Volunteering is on a first come first serve basis. Availability is limited.

CHRISTMAS BOX DONATION CENTER:
Available the Week of December 16-20 & 23rd ONLY 
We are inviting GROUPS to help accept and sort donations Monday, December 16th to Friday, December 20th, and Monday, December 23rd. Volunteer shifts run from 10am - 4pm, with a minimum of  a 2 hours shift. Groups are limited to 15 people and must sign up by emailing [email protected] 

CHRISTMAS BOX HOUSES: 
Thank you to everyone interested in volunteering at a Christmas Box House Shelter. We are fortunate to have so many amazing people supporting our organization that all of our holiday volunteer opportunities at the shelters are full.  Please check back in January for more volunteer opportunities. OR get involved this holiday season by holding  a fundraiser or donation drive! 

HOLIDAY REMINDERS
  • Holiday donations are being accepted NOW especially WALMART GIFT CARDS!
  • Walmart Gift Cards should be dropped off Thursday, November 14th or Thursday, December 5th. 
  • For items to be utilized as holiday gifts, they should be donated by FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20TH.
  • We only accept NEW, UNWRAPPED items
  • We will NOT be accepting donation DECEMBER 24th or 25th
  • The Christmas Box International Offices will be CLOSED December 24th through January 6th

GREATEST NEED

WALMART GIFT CARDS

We are asking donors for $25 gift cards to Walmart. We provide these to families working with a Division of Child and Family Services system to purchase gifts their children want and need.  Each family being served receives (2) $25 gift cards per child/teen. We want to empower parents to provide a positive holiday experience for their children. 

Please Drop Off Gift Cards By: Thursday, November 14th OR Thursday, December 5th

How Can You Help with Project Elf Today?

*GREATEST NEED*

We are asking donors for $25 gift cards to Walmart. We provide these to families working with a Division of Child and Family Services system to purchase gifts their children want and need.  Each family being served receives (2) $25 gift cards per child/teen. We want to empower parents to provide a positive holiday experience for their children. 

We also ask for miscellaneous gift cards to use for teen Christmas presents. As part of their Christmas presents, each teen staying at a Christmas Box House receives (2) $25 gift cards. List of gift cards can be found on our Christmas Wish List (link below).

WE WILL BE DOING 2 WAVES OF WALMART GIFT CARD DONATIONS

Drop off Date 1: Thursday, November 14th
Drop off Date 2:  Thursday, December 6th

*You can drop off cards after these dates. We urge you to get them to us early, remember these are getting sent to families- they need time to get gifts. *

Purchase gifts from our Christmas Wish Lists and deliver them to a Christmas Box House, or check out our Amazon Christmas Wish List and have Amazon deliver them for you.
Donated gifts typically range from $10 – $100. Out of respect for the children we serve and health precautions, we only accept NEW, unwrapped items.

Why unwrapped?
Gifts for specific children are selected by staff as children and teens come into the shelter throughout December so that even if they move on before Christmas Day, the gifts are given to the new placement to wrap and give to the child/teen on Christmas. Kids are very observant and if they are in a placement and receive gifts wrapped in different paper it can make them feel isolated. For the kids at the shelters Santa wraps all the presents in a special way for staff to give them to the correct kiddo.

HOLIDAY DONATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED NOW

ESPECIALLY WALMART GIFT CARDS!

WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING DONATIONS DECEMBER  24TH OR 25TH

Make a monetary donation to help fill in the gaps

If you prefer that we do the shopping for you, you may make a monetary donation to help the children during the holiday season and throughout the year.

Click here to make a donation today!

Organize a Project Elf Donation Drive

Organizing a Project Elf Donation Drive lets you involve others who might not be aware of the needs of the children met by Project Elf. Many families, businesses, and groups enjoy joining together and inviting others to give.

Donation drives are also an excellent way for youth to gain a greater appreciation for their blessings by sharing them with others who are less fortunate. Thank you for your generous support in ensuring every child has a Merry Christmas morning.

There are numerous ways to conduct a successful Project Elf Donation Drive:

  • Using a giving tree with Project Elf ornaments listing Gifts Cards, and gifts from the Christmas Wish List
  • Passing out fliers to your neighborhood and then having a donation pickup day
  • Have a “Bring a Gift to Work Day”
  • Create an Amazon Wish List and ship items directly to The Christmas Box House

Be mindful of the deadlines

  • November 14th & December 6th for Walmart gift cards
  • Week of December 16-20 & 23, Wasatch Front donations need to be taken to the DONATION CENTER
  • Northern Utah donations should still be taken to the Ogden Christmas Box House
  • Not accepting donations on December 24th or 25th
  • Monetary donations are welcome at any time!

Downloads: To help you get out the word, we have included some artwork you may download, which can be found HERE

Thank you, HAVE FUN, and let us know if you have questions!

Drop-off Locations

Please deliver your new, unwrapped items to one of these locations:

Salt Lake Christmas Box House
Monday – Friday, 9:00 am- 5:00 pm
3660 South West Temple, Salt Lake City UT 84115 (Northeast entrance- by the angel statue)

Week of December 16th-20th & 23rd
ALL donations should be brought to the Donation Center. 
Address will be available closer to date.

We will NOT be accepting donations on December 24th or 25th

Ogden Christmas Box House:
Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
950 East 12th Street, Ogden, UT (south entrance facing 12th street)

Week of December 16th- 20th & 23rd
Items will still be taken to the Ogden Christmas Box House

We will NOT be accepting donations on December 24th or 25th

Project Elf Wish Lists

Providing Christmas morning gifts for children and young adults in need.

* We happily accept new items not found on the following lists.
These lists represent our greatest needs this holiday season and for the upcoming year.*

 

Gift Cards *GREATEST NEED*
  • Walmart, Target, Amazon, Costco
  • TJMAXX
  • Old Navy, PINK, Famous Footwear
  • McDonalds, Little Caesars’, TacoBell, Chick-fil-A, Jimmy Johns
  • Fiiz, Swig, Starbucks
  • Cinemark, Megaplex, Nicklecade
  • Hobby Lobby, Dollar Tree
Therapeutic
  • Sensory/Noise Canceling Headphones 
  • Sensory Oral Chew Toys 
  • Weighted Blankets
  • Fidget Toys
  • “Warmies” Microwaveable Stuffed Animals
Children / Teens
TEEN
  • Ulta Makeup Palette
  • Ulta Makeup Brush Set
  • Fake Lashes
  • Foundation 
  • Teen girl perfume and lotion 
  • Popular Brand Hoodie (Nike, UnderArmour, Adidas-adult sizes)
  • Popular Brand Joggers (adult sizes)
  • Portable Speakers
  • Over-Ear Headphones/Earbuds
  • Nice Reusable Plastic Water Bottles (NO metal/glass. Dishwasher safe)
CHILD
  • Lego sets
  • Popular Disney Toys
  • Bluey Toys
  • Paw Patrol
  • Squishmallows
  • VTech/Leapfrog Toys
  • Little Tyke/ Fisher Price Toys

NO TOY WEAPONS (EXAMPLES: NERF GUNS OR LIGHT SABERS)

Classroom & Craft Needs
  • String/Boondoggle Kit
  • Craft Kits & Art Kits (Avoid anything with needles or glass) 
  • National Geographic STEM Kits
  • STEM Activity Kits
  • Diamond Art
  • 8×10 canvas boards
  • Acrylic Paint
Shelter Needs
  • Vacuums
  • Duffle Bags
  • Cordless Alarm Clocks
  • Sound Machines
  • Portable Blu Ray/DVD Players (Used for kids sick that need to stay in bed)
  • Lock Boxes
  • Switch Consoles (These are used at the shelters for all kids to play- not given as a present to an individual child)
  • Switch Games (E rated- gift cards for downloads preferred)
  • Amazon Fire Tablet (shelters are trying to move away from DVD Players)

Make shopping easier and check out our Amazon Wishlist.

Organize a Project Elf Donation Drive

Organizing a Project Elf Donation Drive lets you involve others who might not be aware of the needs of the children being met by Project Elf. Many families, businesses, and groups enjoy the camaraderie of joining together to give, and to invite others to give.

Donation drives are also a great way for youth to gain a greater appreciation for the blessings they have by sharing them with others who are less fortunate.

There are numerous ways to conduct a successful Project Elf Donation Drive:

  • Using a giving tree with Project Elf ornaments listing gifts from the Christmas Wish Lists (and of course gift cards);
  • Passing out fliers to your neighborhood and then having a donation Pickup day;
  • Have a “Bring a Gift to Work Day”;
  • Host a Facebook fundraiser;
  • Simple word of mouth; and so on…

The possibilities are as broad as your imagination. The key to a successful Project Elf Donation Drive is simply to ask.

Accepting holiday donations NOW!
In order for gifts to be utilized as holiday gifts they should be donated no later than Friday, December 20th.
NOT accepting donations December 24th or 25th

Be sure to check out our WISH LISTS for ideas!

Downloads: In order to help you get out the word, we have included some artwork which you may download at the links below.

Project Elf Ornaments-Tags
Project Elf Ribbon Graphic
Project Elf Sign Utah

Christmas Box International is not able to assist the general public with holiday needs.
If you are working with The Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), your caseworker can apply to our holiday program on your behalf. 
Our holiday program is currently only able to support kids within DCFS.
For holiday assistance, please check out: https://211utah.org/resources/seasonal-services