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Holiday assistance is available to income-eligible West Des Moines residents.

Applications for December 2025 food assistance and Giftland Program (for children up to age 18) will follow the deadlines listed in the Hours below.

2025

Provides toys to those in need during the Christmas holidays. Program available for infants through age 12. 

Visit the Angel Tree website for the application to sign up beginning in October. Dates change annually.

Thanksgiving Dinner will be provided Thursday, November 27, 2025., 12 pm-1:30 pm at Community of Christ Church, 140 West Kanesville Blvd.

Meals are available for eat-in or delivery by reservation only. Available to Council Bluffs and local Iowa residents.

Reservations are required and must be made by phone between November 10-21, Mon-Fri 9 am-3 pm. Call St. Albert's High School at (402) 671-5202.

Thanksgiving 2025 meal delivers to those who are in the following zip codes 50317, 50327, 50009. Thanksgiving meal delivery will be from 9:30 am-11am, pick-up will be from 11 am-11:30 am, dine in will be from 11:30 am-1 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Same for Christmas meal delivery. Christmas reservations will not be taken until after Thanksgiving. After December 1, 2025.

Reservations in English (515) 419-5668, reservations in Spanish (515) 343-6399.

Visit the website for counties and agencies participating in local holiday assistance programs.

Volunteers, community groups and local businesses donate materials, food, toys and skills for seasonal holiday projects for low-income families. Provides food packages and allowances to purchase clothes, shoes, coats, and household goods.

Projects vary annually and by county office. Community members may contact their county BVCA office for details about local holiday programs.

2025 registration ended 11/14/2025.

Partners with Toys For Tots and Midwest Food Bank to provide toys and a Christmas food box for families/individuals in need.

For Thanksgiving/Christmas 2025:

Holiday Food provides special meals during the holiday season.

Holiday Families provides support to families during the holidays, in partnership with community organizations.

Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets are offered through some Mid-Sioux Opportunity outreach offices, as well as Christmas gift distribution programs. Dates and times vary by location. Families are encouraged to contact their local office for details.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas 2025:

- The pantry will be stocked with holiday items for the 2025 holiday season, Mon-Fri 9 am-11 am.

- On Thanksgiving Morning, there will be an in-house Thanksgiving Meal at the Parish Center from 9 am to 11 am. A traditional Thanksgiving Meal will be served.

- There will be an in-house Christmas ham dinner on the Friday before Christmas in the Parish Center from 9 am to 11 am.

Volunteers, community groups and local businesses donate materials, food, toys and skills for seasonal holiday projects for low-income families. Provides food packages and allowances to purchase clothes, shoes, coats, and household goods.

Projects vary annually and by county office. Community members may contact their county BVCA office for details about local holiday programs.

Provides Christmas 2025 assistance for referred individuals 62 or older and the disabled who may be in need or alone at Christmas.

Applications may be picked up November 1-21, 2025. Must be turned in on or before November 21, 2025.

Christmas gifts and food in partnership with county partners.

For Christmas 2025:

As of 11/20/25, no longer accepting applications but community members may still call and see if the office might have extra gift cards to Dollar Fresh and Family Fare grocery stores in Richardson County for food for the families (distributed on December 14th).

[For Christmas 2024:

Holiday Gift and Food Basket applications may be picked up at the SENCA office in Falls City or Humboldt, starting October 28th, 2024. No applications will be accepted after November 15th at 4 pm.

For any questions, call the SENCA office: Humboldt number is (402) 862-2411; Falls City number is (402) 245-5284.]

Christmas gifts and food in partnership with county partners.

For Christmas 2025:

As of 11/20/25, no longer accepting applications but community members may still call and see if the office might have extra gift cards to Dollar Fresh and Family Fare grocery stores in Richardson County for food for the families (distributed on December 14th).

[For Christmas 2024:

Holiday Gift and Food Basket applications may be picked up at the SENCA office in Falls City or Humboldt, starting October 28th, 2024. No applications will be accepted after November 15th at 4 pm.

For any questions, call the SENCA office: Humboldt number is (402) 862-2411; Falls City number is (402) 245-5284.]

For Christmas 2025:

Christmas Dinner boxes are offered to those who have received assistance at the Genoa Food Pantry at least one time during the previous 6 months of the current calendar year. The date of distribution is determined each year, usually set for distribution about a week before Christmas.

For Christmas 2025, pre-register by calling Mary Linden at (402) 750-9249 by November 1, 2025.

Gifts distributed to low income seniors. To register to receive a Senior Secret Santa gift, please call (563) 386-7477, limited space available.

For Thanksgiving 2025, the free community meal is held Thursday, November 27, from 11 am-2 pm.

The mission of the program is to collect and distribute new unwrapped toys as Christmas gifts to children ages 0-14.

Toy application information for 2025:

Complete online application by December 8, 2025. You will be notified by email if you qualify between December 9-12, 2025.

Approved applicants will be notified of specific distribution dates and locations.

2025 Information:

Offers Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day meals at Crossroads Mission Avenue. Meals start at 1 pm.

For Thanksgiving 2025:

A Thanksgiving Meal is offered. This can be picked up in the month of December with the monthly food pantry pick-up.

For Christmas 2025:

Offers the Operation Santa program, where qualifying parents can pick out gifts for their children (ages 0-18) at a pop-up shop in December (date to be determined; by appointment only).

Visit the office and fill out an application before the deadline (Nov 22, 2025); parents will then be pre-approved for a time to come and select gifts for their children. Gift options include new and gently used clothing, games, puzzles, etc. Parents also receive a $50 gift card and $50 voucher for each child.

For Christmas 2025:

Project Santa’s Toy and Joy Shop Program empowers low-income parents to have gifts for their children on Christmas or their holiday of choice. Provides 3-5 new toys for each child, books, school supplies, and coloring books. Serves children ages 0-12.

For Christmas 2025:

To sign up for Project Santa, beginning December 1st through December 23rd, community members can visit the Timberlake Outreach Center or Council Bluffs Outreach Center (on the days they are open) and sign up their children (aged newborn to 12) to receive new toys for Christmas. This should be done during visitors' once-a-month shopping time. Please note that each child can only be signed up for this program once.

To sign children up for Christmas gifts, applicants must bring:

- A current piece of mail

- Social Security cards for each child (ages newborn to 12 years old) to sign up to receive gifts

- A document verifying the children’s ages (such as a birth certificate or Medicaid card)

To Shop for Toys: After sign-up, applicants will be given a confirmation sheet with an appointment day and time to come and shop for toys for the children who were signed up. Applicants will need to bring that confirmation sheet with them when shopping for toys.

The Toy N Joy shop is located on the main campus by the airport in Omaha, and will be open (by appointment only) from 10 am-6 pm on December 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, and 23rd. Parents cannot bring children with them to the Toy N Joy Shop.

Thanksgiving 2025

Providing free turkeys to individuals and families who visit and shop at the food pantry during the month of November. Turkeys will only be available for those actively shopping for groceries at the pantry - walk-ins requesting only a turkey will not be eligible. First come first serve basis.

Holiday hours: Pantry will close Wed at 12 pm, Nov 26, 2025, and re-open Dec 1, 2025, Mon 9:30 am.

Provides canned goods, personal items, and occasional fresh produce/dairy/meat. It is recommended that clients bring their own bag.

Provides Thanksgiving meal box to registered clients during the month before Thanksgiving (a frozen turkey, a bag of potatoes, and food to prepare some of the fixings and sides).