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2026 YouthHope Holiday Food Baskets

Holiday Food Basket Application begin October 1, 2026. Holiday baskets include holiday meal food items and a grocery gift certificate. Baskets are limited. Clients who apply for a food basket from another agency are not eligible. First-come, first-served. Basket recipients will receive a basket pick-up card at the time of application with details.

Application must be completed in-person during Food Pantry hours: Monday & Friday 9 am-12 pm. Families may select either Thanksgiving OR Christmas while supplies last. Please one ONE basket per family per year.

THANKSGIVING BASKET DISTRIBUTION: Thursday, November 19, 2026 (9 am-12 pm)

CHRISTMAS BASKET DISTRIBUTION: Thursday, December 17, 2026 (9 am-12 pm)

Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets are distributed, as well as an Adopt a Family program.

2025 Signups will be available on the website October 11 through November 1, 2025.

For Christmas 2025, Christmas baskets are being offered at the 1310 White Street location, distributed December 15th, 2025, through December 17th, 2025. Pick-up is from 10 am-3 pm on those days.

Sign-up is in-person only during regular hours. Registration begins December 1st, 2025. Deadline to sign-up is December 12, 2025. 

This annual holiday event is free for children in foster care, adopted from foster care, kinship placement, relative placement and other children living in the foster household.

Registration is required and will close when full. Please visit website for more information regarding dates and registration forms. Winter Wonderland Holiday Celebration toy distribution Sunday, December 14th, 2025, from 10 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm.

Event held at Hawkeye Downs Expo Hall, 4400 Sixth Street SW in Cedar Rapids. Each child must be registered online via the website, keep a lookout for dates. Register early as this event fills up quickly. To donate to the toy drive, the deadline is Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025. Drop off location is 6000 7th St SW in Cedar Rapids. 

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.

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

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. 

Thanksgiving sign-up starts in Oct - early Nov (once dates are determined). Distribution: Date and time to be determined at the American Legion.

Christmas sign-up is in Oct - early Nov (once dates are determined) (partnering with CRISP - call CRISP 515-462-9400. Households without children can apply through MATURA until (date to be determined). Distribution Date to be determined.

The mission of the program is to collect and distribute new unwrapped toys as Christmas gifts to children less fortunate in the local community, ages 6 months-12 years.

Toy application information for 2025:
10/1/25: Application open date.
11/26/25: Application close date.
10/13/25: Application response start date.
11/29/25: Application response end date.

Verification Dates and Times:

October Dates: Open from 9 am-6 pm

October- 13th, 15th, 20th, 22nd, 27th, and 29th

November Dates: Open from 9 am-6 pm

November- 1st, 15th, 17th, 19th, 22nd, and 29th

Toy Distribution:
Starts 10/28/2025, ends 12/19/2025. Approved applicants will be notified of specific distribution dates and locations.

Toys for Tots - Sign up opens November 3, 2025, online. For those who do not have an email or access to technology may sign up in person on November 17th and 18th. Distribution is at Salvation Army gym, and one parent does the shopping, individuals will get confirmation on date and times on when to come in to shop. 

Distribution dates are December 16th, 17th, and the 18th. With a make-up day of December 19th, 2025. 

Provides curbside distribution of holiday provisions for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Provides a Christmas program for kids during the holiday season. 

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:

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.

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 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.)

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 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

Applications for the 2025 Christmas season (Toy Shop and Angel Tree) begins Nov 3.

2025 Toy Shop sign-up:

- Nov 3, 9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm

- Nov 4, 9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm

- Nov 5, 9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm

- Nov 6, 9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm

- Nov 7, 9 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm

Angel tree applications close Dec 5, 2025, or until all spots are full.

Provides a Toys for Tots sign up during the holiday season. The program screens each applicant and checks with other organizations in the community to maximize the number of families helped during the holiday season and reduce the number of duplications.

Works in partnership with the US Marine Corp each year to offer the Toys for Tots program. Children must be age 12 or younger and reside in the household.

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

Christmas food baskets, vouchers, and gifts for children.

For Christmas 2025:

Provides a child’s toy and clothing of choice, hats and gloves and coat (if needed), food for the family, and other items.

As of Oct 17, 2025, individual applicants and/or those wishing to inquire on behalf of an individual/family who may benefit from the program may send a message through the Caring Cupboard's Facebook page or call and leave a message at (308) 928-2264.