Gifts From The Heart

Volunteers spread Christmas cheer through gift-giving

By Jessica Laskey
December 2023

Santa’s workshop has been in full swing since November, but it’s not manned by elves. It’s run by volunteers and administrators of the county’s Gifts from the Heart program.

Gifts from the Heart celebrates 35 years this season of bringing Christmas joy to children ages 0 to 18, seniors and disabled adults.

Since 1988, the program has annually provided gifts to more than 3,000 clients served by the Department of Child, Family and Adult Services thanks to the generosity of more than 100 community partners.

Local businesses, government agencies, faith-based organizations, service groups, professional groups, private individuals and families chip in.

Starting in October, social workers request specific gifts for clients. Requests are distributed to partner organizations whose members purchase the items. The gifts are picked up and wrapped by volunteers and given back to the social workers for delivery.

Come early December, Gifts from the Heart operates a warehouse called the Santa Shop, where social workers pick out last-minute items for children and teens just entering child protective services.

“Ninety to 95% of these clients have nothing, so to bring that holiday joy to them is priceless,” says Tonja Edelman, a social worker who coordinates volunteers and student interns for the county and oversees the gifts program. “We couldn’t do it without our amazing sponsors and volunteers. We have about 25 volunteers, mostly active retired seniors, and they’re all absolutely amazing.”

“It’s really a wonderful program,” says one volunteer, Hollywood Park resident Barbara Heinrich, whom Edelman calls “Santa Barbara.”

“The fun begins in the warehouse—oh, my goodness, it’s very chaotic but very fun,” Heinrich says. “The first couple of weeks we go out and get gifts from the sponsors and drive them into the warehouse. After we wrap them, we drive them back out to the social workers to deliver to their clients.

Local businesses, government agencies, faith-based organizations, service groups, professional groups, private individuals and families chip in.

Starting in October, social workers request specific gifts for clients. Requests are distributed to partner organizations whose members purchase the items. The gifts are picked up and wrapped by volunteers and given back to the social workers for delivery.

Come early December, Gifts from the Heart operates a warehouse called the Santa Shop, where social workers pick out last-minute items for children and teens just entering child protective services.

“Ninety to 95% of these clients have nothing, so to bring that holiday joy to them is priceless,” says Tonja Edelman, a social worker who coordinates volunteers and student interns for the county and oversees the gifts program. “We couldn’t do it without our amazing sponsors and volunteers. We have about 25 volunteers, mostly active retired seniors, and they’re all absolutely amazing.”

“It’s really a wonderful program,” says one volunteer, Hollywood Park resident Barbara Heinrich, whom Edelman calls “Santa Barbara.”

“The fun begins in the warehouse—oh, my goodness, it’s very chaotic but very fun,” Heinrich says. “The first couple of weeks we go out and get gifts from the sponsors and drive them into the warehouse. After we wrap them, we drive them back out to the social workers to deliver to their clients.