FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, October 1, 2026
 

The Center for Children & Families Launches Annual Christmas Project, Inviting Communities to Give Hope to Local Children and Teens

MONROE, La. – The holiday season is officially underway at The Center for Children & Families, and the community is invited to help make Christmas a little brighter for local children and teens through The Center’s annual Christmas Project.
For more than 20 years, The Christmas Project has brought together community members, businesses, and organizations to provide gifts and essential items to children and families served by The Center. What began as a small effort to make sure children had something to open on Christmas morning has grown into a community-wide tradition of giving that reaches families throughout Northeast Louisiana, Northwest Louisiana, South

Louisiana and Mississippi.

“The Christmas Project is about so much more than a gift under the tree,” said Chris Ramsey, Chief Operating Officer for The Center for Children & Families “It’s about reminding children and families that their community sees them, values them and wants them to experience hope during the Christmas season.”
Each year, The Center serves more than 5,000 children and families through its services and programs. What makes The Christmas Project especially meaningful is that it grows out of The Center’s year-round relationships with children and families. The Center’s team members are in the community and face-to-face with families throughout the year, giving a firsthand understanding of the challenges they are navigating and the needs they have.
When the holidays arrive, The Christmas Project gives our community another opportunity to show up for those families in a very tangible way.
Last year, the generosity of the community helped The Center provide Christmas gifts to
more than 1,200 children. As the need continues, The Center is once again inviting
individuals, businesses, churches, civic groups and other organizations to join the effort.

There are three ways to get involved:

Sponsor a Wish List
Individuals, families, businesses and organizations can sponsor a child or family’s Christmas wish list and purchase the requested gifts, clothing, shoes and other needed items.

Become a Collection Site

Businesses and organizations can serve as a community collection site, giving employees, customers and community members a convenient place to donate new, unwrapped gifts and clothing for local children and teens.

Make a Donation

Financial contributions help The Center purchase gifts that fill gaps when specific items are still needed, helping ensure that every child participating in The Christmas Project can experience the joy of Christmas.

The Center is especially grateful for partners who make the project possible year after year.
From a business collecting gifts in its lobby to a family sponsoring a wish list or an
individual making a financial contribution, every act of generosity helps bring hope to a local child or teen.

“The Christmas Project is one of the clearest examples of what can happen when a community comes together,” said Dr. Matt Nappier, CEO for The Center for Children & Families. “Every gift, every collection box and every donation represents someone choosing to show up for a child and remind them that they matter.”

To learn more about The Christmas Project, sponsor a wish list, become a collection site or make a donation, visit standforhope.org.

About The Center for Children & Families

Founded in 1999, The Center for Children & Families exists to promote safe, healthy environments for children and families through advocacy, counseling, education, and prevention. Today, the organization operates four regional locations and serves thousands of clients annually, helping them overcome life's most difficult challenges and build brighter futures.

To learn more, visit www.standforhope.org.

For more information about The Center for Children & Families, please contact:

Liz Gaught

Director of Marketing & Communications The Center for Children & Families
318-398-0945 | lgaught@standforhope.org