It all started four years ago.
Debbie Yaniw was gifted a turkey by one of her friends, but she already had one lined up for Christmas dinner. So, Yaniw decided to pay it forward.
When she turned to Facebook to find a family in need, the influx of messages overwhelmed her, and a single turkey just didn’t seem like enough.
Yaniw rallied her friends and together they were able to provide six families with a full Christmas dinner that first year. Christmas in a Box was born.
With a little more planning and coordination, Yaniw was able to help 12 families in 2017 and a whopping 30 families last year, providing them with a home-cooked Christmas dinner and little gifts for the children to open.
“It’s really blown up,” said Yaniw. “All of the donations come from people in the community, mostly friends of friends and small businesses.”
Yaniw, who is now seven months pregnant, intended to limit the number of families to 20 this year, but as the nominations continued to pour in, she couldn’t bear to say no.
She managed to make arrangements to give Christmas in a Box to 34 families this Christmas.
The boxes are given to families nominated by other members of the community through an online form.
“The ones who need help the most are rarely ever the ones to ask for it,” said Yaniw.
Christmas in a Box includes enough food to cook a full turkey dinner, from fresh vegetables donated by local farmers to a homemade dessert, seasonal accessories and even a pan to roast the turkey in. This year, the box will also include multiple presents for the children and a gift card to the grocery store for the families to pick up anything else they might need.
“We started by giving hats and mitts and little stocking stuffers, but his year every kid will have two or three gifts chosen specifically for them,” Yaniw said.
Once the families are selected, Yaniw posts an anonymous list on her Facebook page outlining every child’s gender, age and interests. Companies or individuals can purchase gifts specifically for certain families or donate a variety of toys and then Yaniw selects the best recipient.
And for the first year ever, she’s decided to wrap every gift herself.
“This way it’s a surprise for everyone,” she said. “I know Christmas isn’t all about Santa, but unfortunately Santa doesn’t visit some kids. So now the parents can hide the pre-wrapped gifts and have it as a surprise on Christmas morning.”
And it’s not just for families with small children. Yaniw is committed to giving Christmas in a Box open to anyone who may need it.
“I try not to have an age cut off because teenagers and young adults work hard too, and they deserve a Christmas as well,” she said.
Yaniw is currently scrambling to make sure everything is in order before bringing the boxes to Living Faith Church for the families to pick up on Dec. 21.
“My house currently looks like Santa threw up in here,” Yaniw laughed.
Every year, Yaniw is more and more overwhelmed with the love and support the community chips in to help put the boxes together. Someday, she hopes to partner with someone or a larger facility in order to be able to give Christmas in a Box to everyone who needs it.
“There are a lot of wider scale initiatives, but it’s nice to see what you’re doing go directly into the community. I think people are more willing to give when it’s staying local as well,” she said.
Once the boxes have all made it to their respective homes, Yaniw can finally relax. You’ll find her spending the holiday with her family, catching a carol service together on Christmas Eve.
