With the holiday season right around the corner, Every Child Central Oregon (ECCO) is rallying to bring warmth, joy and holiday magic to over 255 children in foster care across Crook, Jefferson, and Deschutes Counties, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The need is urgent, and with the holidays fast approaching, community support is essential to ensure that each child experiences the love and wonder of the season.
“These children have faced significant challenges, and we’re committed to making sure they don’t miss out on the joy of the holidays,” says Brieanna Rogers, ECCO’s programs manager. “But we need the community’s help to make this possible, and so we’ve developed a number of ways that people can participate in our annual holiday gift drive. As the time to act is now, we’re asking everyone to join us in ensuring every child feels the love and magic of the season.”
The 2024 holiday giving campaign marks the fourth year that ECCO has orchestrated the region-wide program. The program leads have found that offering multiple ways for people to donate increases an equitable giving experience for those wishing to participate through their contribution.
“What’s especially unique about our giving campaign is that we tailor our gift lists according to the specific wishes of the youth experiencing foster care,” Rogers says. “Instead of gifts for youth being assigned to donors based on general age or gender, the youth actually indicate their wishes. When these kids and teens take a gift from under their tree, they’re opening something they truly wanted and requested. This not only ensures the spirit and the magic of the holidays but also nurtures a dignified, normalized childhood experience through the generosity of community giving—a goal of both this campaign and ECCO’s mission.”
The annual holiday giving campaign welcomes participation of individuals, businesses and other kinds of organizations, such as clubs or groups of faith. Last year, four businesses fulfilled 150 wish lists alone, while a number of other families, neighborhoods and civic groups banded together to make the gift-giving possible .
As Rogers says, “It can be a really heartwarming way for groups to self-mobilize around an amazing cause, give back, and make a huge difference in the lives of these many children.”
Here are the three ways to help:
- Shop Our Amazon Gift Registry: Stress-Free Shopping with a Purpose
Skip the holiday shopping rush by selecting a gift from our Amazon registry filled with items from children’s wish lists. Your gift will be shipped directly to us, ready to bring a smile to a child in need.
Gift Registry Link: Amazon Gift Registry - Donate a Toy: Handpicked Gift with a Personal Touch
For those who prefer selecting a gift themselves, they can donate a new, unwrapped toy at one of our Central Oregon drop-off locations. A variety of convenient locations across Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Sunriver and Madras are ready to accept your gifts.
Drop-Off Locations
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- Bend: R&H Construction, 61426 American Lane, Suite 100 (Mon-Fri, 8 am-4 pm); Mountain Air Trampoline Park, 20495 Murray Road Ste 150 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm; Sat, 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-5pm); Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NW Real Estate, 805 SW Industrial Way Suite 10 (Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm); Weston Tech Solutions, 2214 NE Division St Suite 210 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm)
- Redmond: Feast Food Co, 546 NW 7th St (Thurs-Mon, 11 am-8 pm); First Interstate Bank, 154 SW 6th St (Mon-Fri, 9am-5:30pm)
- Prineville: Prineville Play Cafe, 405 NW 3rd St, Suite B (Varied hours); RE/MAX Out West Realty, 236 N Main St (Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm; Sat, 10 am-2 pm); Prineville Church of the Nazarene, 780 East First St (Mon-Thurs, 9 am-2 pm)
- Sunriver: Sunriver Police Department, 57455 Abbot Dr (Mon-Fri, 8 am-4 pm)
- Madras: Kids Club of Jefferson County, 410 SW 4th St (Mon-Fri, 2 pm-5 pm; No-School Days, 7:30 am-5 pm)
- Make a Financial Contribution: Ensure Every Child’s Holiday Wish Comes True
For children who enter foster care close to the holidays, your financial donations allow ECCO to fulfill their holiday wishes without delay. Contributions provide the flexibility needed to buy gifts and meet needs throughout the season.
Donation Link: Holiday Giving
About Every Child Central Oregon (ECCO):
Founded in 2019, Every Child Central Oregon (ECCO) mobilizes community to uplift children and families impacted by foster care in Central Oregon. ECCO is its own 501c3 nonprofit while affiliated with Every Child Oregon, Every Child Central Oregon is based in Redmond, Ore., from where it relentlessly fights for local children in crisis and commits to finding safe, nurturing places where they can flourish. Serving Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson Counties, and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, ECCO provides radical hospitality with a posture of humility and care for youth in foster homes, as well as its families and partners working in child welfare. Believing in a hopeful future for its clients, ECCO connects individuals, businesses, families and faith communities with acute needs, helping the vulnerable to rise up and achieve resiliency in spite of crisis.
