Ten years ago, when I was a caseworker in refugee resettlement, I was asked to deliver bags and bags of toys that were generously donated and assembled by volunteers. It’s a week or two before Christmas, and I have a million things to do. I trudge up three flights of stairs in one apartment building, hauling up huge bags of toys to an Iraqi Christian family. The mom opened the door and told her five-year-old, “Marie has brought toys from Baba Noel [Father Christmas].”
The little boy started to cry and said, “I thought Baba Noel had died.”
The family’s church had been destroyed in an Iraqi bombing, and the little boy thought Santa, who had given out Christmas gifts at the church, had died in the bombing.
I realized then how much these gifts mean to these children and families who have survived traumatic events. We bring joy into their lives at Christmas. There are hundreds of stories just like this across Cook and Lake counties.
The Celebration of Giving started 77 years ago at St. Vincent’s Orphanage, which today houses Catholic Charities, at 721 N. LaSalle Street. Parents who adopted babies from the orphanage brought gifts at Christmas for the children waiting to be adopted.
Since then, the tradition has grown, serving 14,000 individuals across Cook and Lake counties. In addition to the thousands of toys collected and distributed, families also received gifts from their wish lists, including new clothing, warm coats and boots, household items, and more. Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of individual donors, parishes, schools, businesses, and organizations, and most especially, our dedicated volunteers.
The ability for us to give gifts to those in need and connect that to Jesus’ birth is significant. It’s transformational for the families we serve and for our team of staff and volunteers, which delivers that joy.
It’s also a way for us to connect during Advent, as we’re all praying, waiting, and preparing to bring Jesus home.
Celebration of Giving is an easy way for anyone to engage at a really festive time. Company teams join us to volunteer as their holiday party, and our warehouses are always filled with music and celebration. It’s also an opportunity to learn more about Catholic Charities.
If you want to participate, we want you to join us! Donate, visit our gift registries, or volunteer at catholiccharities.galambos-dev.com/celebration2025
I’m grateful for our team of volunteers, staff, donors, and other partners. I’m grateful we get to do this work together. This work is really hard, but it’s only with a community that change happens.
Every Christmas, I think about that little boy, and I know our community supporting Celebration of Giving is making a difference in the lives of people just like him served by Catholic Charities.
Marie Jochum is the Vice President of Community Programs for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago.