SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Dec. 5, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Christmas Box International, the philanthropic organization dedicated to improving “the quality of life for children, teens, and young adults who are victims of abuse, neglect, trafficking or facing homelessness” is asking for community support as it works to provide Christmas for more than 2,800 at-risk children in Utah.
Founded by in 1996 by best-selling Utah-based novelist Richard Paul Evans, author of “The Christmas Box House,” and now founder and chair of The Christmas Box International, has provided holiday gifts for more than 47,000 children over last 20 years by way of its Project Elf Campaign.
Celeste Edmunds, Christmas Box International’s executive director, grew up in the foster care system and says she knows firsthand what these children are going through.
“Often, the children we are helping are not looking for much, just a sense of normalcy and belonging–like getting a new shirt with a tag on it. Through Project Elf, companies and individuals are invited to donate gifts, clothing, gift cards, or a monetary donation to help ensure that the children we serve can have a happy holiday season,” Celeste said. “It’s a great time of year for people to give in a way that feels meaningful to them.”
But Christmas isn’t the only time of year there’s need.
“Safety isn’t seasonal,” said Richard Paul Evans. “We serve children 365 days a year and need to make Christmas happen at our emergency shelters and resource centers for families served by the state within our community.”
Evans said the charity works in partnership with Salt Lake County and the Division of Child & Family Services, and there are online Christmas Wish Lists of the specific needs of children and families.
Donations are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. through 5 p.m.
Drop-off location sites are available on the Project Elf page by visiting https://thechristmasbox.org/project-elf/.
The community can learn more about The Christmas Box International and Project Elf by visiting www.thechristmasbox.org.
The Christmas Box House is an emergency shelter for children ages 0-18 who have been removed from their homes because of abuse, trafficking, or homelessness. Utah has three locations: Moab, Salt Lake, and Ogden. Between all three Christmas Box House locations, an average of 1,000 siblings each year can stay together. The Christmas Box International has 22 resource rooms throughout Utah, from St. George to Tooele, to Logan. Christmas Box Resource Rooms are located in a Christmas Box House emergency shelter or a Division of Child & Family Services office to provide resources to caseworkers who have had to remove a child from their home because of abuse or neglect.
