“The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other’s burdens, easing each other’s loads, and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” – W.C. Jones
One of the things the PCF staff love the most about the Children’s Holiday Fund is how personalized it is. Many of the organizations that receive grants are ones that live life with the children and their families every day and every season (not just at Christmas) so they know what these families truly need to feel loved, supported, and joyful during the holidays. As we look back on last year, we would like to lift up the stories of three recipient organizations: Williamsburg House of Mercy, Peake Childhood Development Center, and Greater Peninsula C.A.R.E.S.
Williamsburg House of Mercy
The Williamsburg House of Mercy took a $4,500 grant and stretched the impact to 770 children.
Their 2025 Christmas Toy Market successfully transitioned their traditional holiday assistance from a “handout” model to a “client-choice” experience. Parents were given scheduled “shopping” appointments, allowing them to select specific gifts tailored to their children's specific wishes and needs in a way that preserved their dignity as their children’s gift-givers. It provided parents with the agency to be the heroes of their own holiday stories, and helped alleviate the financial stress that often accompanies the season for low-income households. This holiday program reached hundreds of families, and brought joy and peace of mind to both parents and children through their personalized, people-first program.
Peake Childhood Center
With $3,000 from the Children’s Holiday Fund, every Peake student at both the Hampton and Newport News campuses received a new pair of pajamas and a book to take home during the winter break. On one of the final days before that break, children decorated large paper bags to resemble stockings and then lined them up outside their classrooms just before naptime. When they awoke, the bags were filled with new pajamas and books picked just for them. Working closely with teachers, the director intentionally selected books appropriate for the children’s different ages and stages of learning and also personally ensured that each child would receive the size of pajamas that would fit them best. This wonderful program helped children continue to learn and develop while educational services took a holiday break, and provided love and comfort during the holidays by adding some cozy color to bedtime.
Greater Peninsula CARES
Greater Peninsula Cares also took a “shopping” approach to serve the community during the holidays through their Pop-Up of Joy event. This event, funded in part by their $3,000 Children’s Holiday Fund grant, invited individuals, families, and other agencies to come and “shop” for high-demand holiday items such as hats, gloves, socks, hygiene products, toiletries, and even toys and games that brought joy and normalcy to children during the holiday season. This is what PCF loves to see as a result of the Holiday Fund: families able to meet practical needs while also experiencing the dignity of choice and the joy of the holiday season.
In 2025, our Children Holiday Fund grant recipients did a beautiful job of supporting the Peninsula community and spreading holiday cheer to children and families who needed that light and joy the most. If you would like to contribute to the 2026 Children’s Holiday Fund or become a sponsor for this year’s program, you can learn more here.