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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.

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 baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas

For eligible families, a holiday food basket will be prepared upon request. Visit in person to register for a food basket.

Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets (Signup Dates are November 1st through November 27th, 2025)

Provides gifts for those in need with children (newborn through 14 years) through the Toys for Tots program.

Registration for Christmas 2025 begins October 27 and ends November 30, 2025. Registration may be completed in-person at the HACAP office or may be completed online. You will need the following information to register: photo ID for head of household (the adult registering the children must also be the adult to pick up toys), proof of Date of Birth for each child (such as birth certificate from any country or child's medical record), and proof of Washington County residency (such as valid address on photo ID, lease, utility bill). Distribution by appointment.

To register online, visit www.toysfortots.org 

Provides toys at Christmastime for low-income children, as well as a food voucher.

Sign Up opens November 3, 2025 Visit the website and select a county to find signup locations in the area. For those who do not have an e-mail or access to technology, there will be in-person sign up on November 17 and 18, 2025 at the Salvation Army, 747 Village Green Drive, Mason City IA on the Eastside of Menards.

**Toys for Tots applications are closed for this year 2025**

Four Mile and Pioneer Columbus Recreation Centers will help families sign up for 2024 Toys for Tots during the holiday season. Registration begins Nov. 1, 2024, and goes through Nov 30, 2024. Gift pick-ups are Mon Dec. 16, 2024, from 12 pm- 6 pm; Tue Dec. 17, 2024, from 3 pm-8 pm and Dec. 18, 2024, from 12 pm-6 pm at the center where families register.

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

Application will be taken at 1610 Pierce Street. From November 1st, 2025, through November 30th, 2025. Mon-Fri 10 am-6 pm, and Sat 12 pm-5 pm. Will be closed all four Sunday's November 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 28th.

For questions call (712) 317-0638, or (712) 301-9254, Mon-Thu 9 am-5 pm

Gifts and a food voucher are available to families with children ages 15 and younger and to seniors age 60+. Food vouchers are available for families with children ages 16+ and to adults without children.

For 2025 Christmas Assistance:

Registration will be done in person. Applicants must sign up at the location matching their zip code.

OMAHA CITADEL - 3738 Cuming Street:

- Monday, November 10 (9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-4 pm)

- Tuesday, November 11 (9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-7 pm)

- Wednesday, November 12 (9 am–12 pm)

- Zip codes: 68007, 68002, 68064, 68110, 68111, 68112, 68116, 68122, 68134, 68152, 68102, 68131, 68114, 68130, 68135, 68010, 68144, 68104, 68132, 68142, 68118, 68154, 68178, 68164.

KROC CENTER - 2825 Y Street:

- Thursday, November 6 (9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-4 pm)

- Friday, November 7 (9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-4 pm)

- Saturday, November 8 (9 am–1 pm)

- Zip codes; 68005, 68028, 68046, 68059, 68107, 68127, 68128, 68133, 68136, 68113, 68147, 68117, 68157, 68123, 68106, 68137, 68105, 68108, 68124, 68138.

NORTH CORPS - 2424 Pratt Street:

- Saturday, November 1 (9 am-1 pm)

- Monday, November 3 (9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-4 pm)

- Tuesday, November 4 (9 am–12 pm and 1 pm-4 pm)

- Zip codes: 68007, 68002, 68064, 68110, 68111, 68112, 68116, 68122, 68134, 68152.

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.

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

Provides seasonal meal boxes to families in need for the holidays. We pack and distribute 350 boxes in November for our Turkey Time Together event, and 350 in December for our Family! Feast! These boxes are available by signing up. Information will be provided on the website when availability begins.

Turkey Time Together Event - Closed

December Family Feast - Registration will be available through the Holiday Food Box Collaborative form from November 17, 2025 to November 30, 2025 or until all 500 slots are filled.

Register here: http://bit.ly/HFBRegister

Helps families sign up for Toys for Tots during the holiday season. Sign-ups dates will be posted on the Facebook page as they open for the 2025 holiday season.

Offers seasonal services, including holiday food baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with gift cards for turkey, holiday toys and gifts as supplies last, Easter baskets for youth, and Back-to-school supplies and backpacks for students in August.

Offering 2025 Annual Christmas Day Dinner. Call after December 1st during business hours for reservations and information. 

Drive-thru-only pantry held two Saturdays each month, and a pop-up outdoor pantry each Monday (food only). Offers perishable and non-perishable items, fresh produce, cleaning supplies, diapers, and laundry detergent washing sheets for 20 loads of laundry.

For Thanksgiving 2025, Thanksgiving pantry is Thu, Nov 20, starting 10 am.

For Christmas 2025, Christmas pantry is Mon, Dec 22, starting 11 am.

Christmas assistance is available through the Angel Tree program, which provides a Christmas dinner food box and toys for children ages 0-12.

For the 2025 Angel Tree program, call to make an appointment after October 20th. Application appointments are made in the first 2 weeks of November.

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. 

Single Moms Christmas Dinner offered 5 pm Dec. 6, 2025, at Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines. Includes a catered meal for single mothers and their children. Activities and programming provided for newborns to age 18. Registration is required and closes December 1, 2025. Visit website or call to register.

Scholarships may be available for those who qualify and can be requested by emailing [email protected]

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.

2025

Offers holiday assistance for parents who are unemployed or underemployed. Gift and food distribution will take place at the Midwest Food Bank, 2031 Warehouse Road, Normal (off of Northtown Road, north of I-55 in Normal).

Registration is online. Starting in mid-October, visit the website or Facebook page to access the form. the form swill jol longer be available one tall spots are filled.

Distribution, Dec 13, 2025 from 8 am-11 am. This will be a drive-in, drive-out event and packages will be loaded in vehicles. Children do not need to be present to receive a gift.

Thrift shop with vouchers provided by most churches, government offices, and community agencies.

School supply distribution.

Santa's workshop provides Christmas presents.

Thanksgiving Baskets: No Thanksgiving baskets this year for 2025. Registration is now closed. 

Christmas Toy Registration (Angel Tree) For families with children 0-15 years old: Registration is online for Christmas 2025. Applicants must register between October 27th through November 30th, Mon-Fri 9:30 am-11:45 am and 1 pm-4 pm.

Solicits monetary donations to purchase specifically requested toys for less fortunate children in Lincoln, Nebraska, ages 1-13 for Christmas.

Works with social service agencies in Lincoln, Nebraska to qualify families.

The National Guard provides volunteers to help sort applications and distribute toys.

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.