With 100 days ’til Christmas (!) …
The Wonderfund Thanks 100+ Holiday Gift Drive Donors
This past Sunday marked–believe it or not–the point in the calendar when we are just 100 days from Christmas. While Labor Day Weekend may not feel like it’s even behind us, the Wonderfund, the charity supporting children served by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, has already recruited more than 100 generous corporate donors for our Holiday Gift Drive–and is eagerly working to find more.
Last year, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of more than 300 corporate, community, and individual donors, the Wonderfund was able to provide Christmas and holiday-season gifts to an all-time record 45,984 children, fulfilling requests made by their DCF social workers in 29 area offices. That was an increase of nearly 14 percent from the 2016 drive.
This year, the Wonderfund is trying to reach even more children. Each donation is directly matched to help every child feel valued and supported—as all children deserve to feel. Their ability to expand and grow could not have been accomplished without the support of these donors. The passion, dedication, and generosity of holiday donors are an integral part of this drive’s success.
If you are interested in participating again this year, please fill out the following survey to help the Wonderfund match your donation to specific children: click here for the survey!
So far, these are the biggest sponsors of the 2018 Holiday Gift Drive, ranked according to how many children they’ve committed to buying gifts for:
- Dell Inc. (1000 children)
- Baystate Financial (450 children)
- Brown Brother Harriman & Co. (300 children)
- Alkermes (275 children)
- Suffolk Construction (250 children)
- Acquia (200 children)
- Boston College (130 children)
- PTC (125 children)
- Brown Rudnick, the Center for Health Information and Analysis, Clarendon Group, Cloudhealth Technologies, EY and Fay School (each providing gifts for 100 children)
- Ipswitch, Inc (being recognized for TBD gifts and major logistical support)
Massachusetts First Lady Lauren Baker, who serves as vice chair of the Wonderfund (known for 19 years as the DCF Kids Fund before its relaunch in June 2017) said: “We are so thankful to all the donors who have already stepped up with commitments to ensure the children served by the Wonderfund get a chance to experience the joy and magic of the holiday season that every kid deserves to know. We’re committed to doing everything we can to ensure that we meet 100 percent of the requests we’ll get for gifts. We’ll be so thankful for every donor we can get.”
Wonderfund CEO Erin Murphy Rafferty said: “It is so heartwarming when we hear all the many stories of donors who know only a child’s name, age, and interests, and then put in so much time, thoughtfulness, and love into choosing a truly special gift for them. If you’ve ever thought you’d love to brighten the day of a child who’s endured trauma, abuse, or neglect, the Wonderfund Holiday Gift drive is a wonderful way to bring them joy they will remember forever.”
Companies, organizations, and individuals interested in supporting the Wonderfund’s 2018 Holiday Gift Drive can reach us:
- By phone at 617.748.2368
- By email at holiday@wonderfundma.org
- Online at http://www.www.wonderfundma.org/who-we-are/contact
- Or by U.S. Mail at Massachusetts Wonderfund, Inc., 600 Washington Street, 6th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111
About the Wonderfund
The Wonderfund, a private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) federally tax-exempt charity, was formerly known as the DCF Kids Fund and relaunched in June 2017 with support from Massachusetts First Lady Lauren Baker, who serves as the Wonderfund’s vice chair. The Wonderfund has a vision to provide resources and opportunities, above what state funding can do, for the more than 50,000 children engaged with DCF on any given day:
Emergency and transitional items: Children placed in DCF care, some with no more than the clothes on their backs, are given a duffel bag that contains clean, seasonally appropriate clothing, new pajamas, toiletries, and an age-appropriate item of comfort such as a teddy bear.
Enrichment opportunities: All children involved with DCF are eligible for funding from the Wonderfund to access enrichment activities like summer camp, arts & music lessons, sports, SAT preparation, or vocational training that can change the trajectory of their lives for the better.