‘Wrappers’ Send Christmas Joy with Love

The Wrappers get to work.

It took a lot of paper and miles of tape, but some 900 gifts were added to Santa’s sleigh this year, thanks to the United Church of Christ’s Retirement Housing Foundation. Resident volunteers at at RHF’s Bixby Knolls Towers, a multi-level retirement community in Long Beach, Calif., and Klein Manor in Los Alamitos, Calif., along RHF staff and Advisory Commission members all worked together to bring extra Christmas cheer to deserving children and youth.

The volunteers wrapped dolls, action figures, talking stuffed animals, classic games, puzzles, and more for youth living in RHF’s 25 affordable family communities across 10 states. The toys were donated and/or purchased from local vendors, thanks to a huge fundraising effort. Additionally, some 700 gift cards were given to older youth.

A project of RHF’s Philanthropy Department, the annual, year-round project began 20 years ago. It increases in size as new family communities are added to the RHF family.

But all that wrapping wasn’t all work and no play. The “wrappers” sang Christmas carols, told stories about Christmases past, and even played Holiday Bingo while wrapping the gifts for the children. In the end, it was a heart-filled and heart-warming project for all.

Special thanks to Alice Sexton, Chair of RHF’s Advisory Commission, for passing along this story.