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Local families partner with families in need to provide personalized holiday assistance, potentially including toys/gifts, and meals.

For Christmas 2025:  INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE YET

-- Nemaha County – 12/20/24 11 am-4 pm. Gift card pick up at the Auburn Christian Church.

-- Johnson County - 12/16/2024. All day pickup (8 am-4 pm) of gift cards in Tecumseh office.

-- Pawnee County - 12/18/2024 9AM – 11:30 am and 1 pm-3:30 pm. Pick up of food and gift cards in the Community Room at the Village Apartments.

Thanksgiving community meal, served Nov 26, 2025, 11:30 am-1 pm. No registration is required; this is a sit-down, in-person meal.

Christmas assistance/toys and ham (in partnership with Toys for Tots). Registration open Oct 20-Nov 21, 2025. Sign up online at sacedarrapids.org, click on Holiday Assistance. Call for (319) 364-9131 for assistance if unable to do this. Households with children ages newborn up to 14 (on 12/25) can sign up for toys and a ham. Households without children eligible for toys can sign up for a ham.

Christmas community meal, served Dec 19, 2025, 11:30 am-1:30 pm. No registration required; this is a sit-down, in-person meal.

For Christmas Food for 2025, signup dates are:

- 11/19 - 5 pm-8 pm

- 12/3 - 5 pm-8 pm

- 12/6 - 10 am-4 pm

- One signup per household.

- Sign up for food at the Kearney Salvation Army (North doors) at 1719 Central Ave, Kearney. Signing up for toys is a separate process.

For Christmas Toys for 2025:

- Angel Tree is live for signups, as of Oct 2, 2025. Must live in Buffalo County. Sign up at www.saangeltree.org

- The sign-up is for children ages 18 and under.

- Registration deadline to be determined.

- For questions, visit the Salvation Army Kearney page on Facebook and use Facebook Messenger; staff will reply as soon as possible. www.facebook.com/TSAKearney

Christmas food for families and toys for children ages 12 and under.

Christmas 2025:

Parents visit the Salvation Army in Hastings to sign up their families to receive toys and food. Sign-up starts Mon, Nov 3 and ends Tue, November 25.

Only open to Food Pantry guests that received services between Jan-Oct 2025!

*12/19/25 Friday ONLY from 9 am-11 am Free Christmas gifts on a first come, first served bases. 

​Each child will receive a minimum of 1 toy and stocking stuffer. Children must be 18 or younger to participate. Children do not need to be present while registering or during pick up. Toys are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each child may only receive toys once. This is a Toys for Tots event.

Pre-registration is required. Registrants must come into the Bidwell Pantry to sign up for the Holiday Toy Pantry. Registration is between 10 am-4 pm Monday through Friday from November 1, 2025 through November 30, 2025 OR until the event is full.

For Christmas 2025:

Provides a holiday a food basket and gifts for children.

Starting Oct 1, 2025, and ending Nov 26, 2025, applications will be accepted by same-day appointment only. No applications accepted after Nov 26.

Applicants must bring proof of income for everyone in the household.

To sponsor a child or family or for more information, call Carmen Trevino at (308) 635-3089.

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.

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.

Offers help with laundry, gas, clothing, and Thanksgiving and Christmas assistance.

For Thanksgiving 2025, Meal Box Registration is Nov 3-7, from 10 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm. Bring photo ID, proof of address, and proof of household size (ID/Medical card, etc. for each household member). Food Boxes Distributed November 24, 2025.

For Christmas 2025, Toy Assistance and Meal Box Registration is Nov 17-18, 2025, from 10 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm. Toy assistance is limited to 600 children, ages 0-12. Bring photo ID, proof of address, proof of household size, and proof of children's birthdates.

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.]

Thanksgiving 2025

Offering a thanksgiving community meal on Thanksgiving Day 11 am-1 pm.

Christmas 2025 

Offering Christmas assistance through the angel tree program, for registering in person must visit main office on November 4th, 5th, and 6th. May register online on November 13th. 

To register, you will need to bring: photo I.D. and social security card for head of household, and social security card for household members ages 13 and older, birth certificates for each child ages 0-12; current piece of mail from the last 30 days proving they live in Jasper County and a working phone number. Christmas food and toy distribution are for families with children from newborn to 12 years old

Provides gifts to foster families by seeking donations or monetary donations used to purchase gifts, for children. Services include gift wrapping and delivering the gifts to the foster parents before Christmas day. Program may also provide gifts to adult residential clients. Will provide letter of thanks for donation for tax purposes. 

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.

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.]

Holiday food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas Toy Shopping.

For Thanksgiving & Christmas 2025:

The 2025 Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway is held at the PCM Help Center (6800 P Street, Lincoln) on Saturday, 11/22/25. Giving away 500 Thanksgiving meal baskets to those in need, beginning at 9 am until supplies run out.

Free Thanksgiving meal Thanksgiving Day 2025 at People's City Mission (110 Q Street, Lincoln). Serving a full Thanksgiving meal to not only all of the homeless in Lincoln, but to anyone who would otherwise be alone on Thanksgiving and could use a meal. Serving at 11 am-2 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Expecting to serve around 700 meals.

Santa’s Workshop Christmas Toy Giveaway for families in need will be held at the People's City Mission Help Center (6800 P Street, Lincoln) on Saturday, 12/13/25 from 10 am-12 pm. Anticipating to help over 5,000 people, including shelter guests and low-income families who shop at the Help Center. Shoppers will need to have a Clarity card to participate. Clarity cards can be obtained at the Help Center each Tuesday from 9-11 am. No appointment necessary.

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.

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 assistive technology for blind or visually impaired students to use in their homes.

Makes annual award to Nebraska teacher of the blind and visually impaired.

Offers a scholarship to graduating senior high school students.

Sponsors annual Christmas Party for blind and visually impaired children.

2025

Offers gifts and food to those in need for the Christmas 2025 holiday. Reach out to the local County Outreach Office for more information regarding holiday help in the area.

For Christmas 2025:

Heart of Christmas is Sat, Dec 6th, from 10 am-11 am, held at the Faith Church in Rock Valley, IA. Provides a Christmas store for children ages 3-11, and parents pay $5 per child to choose and wrap a gift. The store closes at 10:45 am, so parents must arrive before that time.

This also qualifies parents to receive a holiday meal kit. Children enter the Christmas Carnival area with a variety of games and decorate Christmas cookies. There is an interactive retelling of the Christmas story.

Parents must register by Nov 21. Register online at www.loveincsiouxcounty.org, our facebook page, or call (712) 476-5990. No registration needed for Christmas Carnival. (All children must be accompanied by a parent at the event.)

Offers a community Thanksgiving meal in November. Residents may apply for special food box and toy distributions for Christmas.

- 2025 Salvation Army Angel Tree Program:

Sign-up open Sep 1-Oct 31, 2025. Apply Online at www.saangeltree.org

- Toy Shop pick-up Dec 16-17, 2025.

Helps provide Christmas gifts for children and senior adults each year. Once registered and accepted, each Angel’s Christmas wish list is shared with donors in the community, who purchase new clothing and toys for the family.