MINT HILL, NC – Servant’s Heart is gearing up for their annual Christmas Assistance program, and they need your help to make it happen!

Every year at Christmas time, Servant’s Heart’s allows pre-qualified parents to visit the shop for a private shopping experience.  Parents select $100 of new toys for each child in their family age 0 to 12/  Clients who are pregnant can even shop for the child they are expecting!  For each child age 13 through college, parents receive $75 in Target or Walmart gift cards.

Servant’s Heart will be accepting donations from November 25 through December 13.  One of the most significant areas of need is gift cards.  Last year, Servant’s Heart gave out $12k in gift cards alone.  The most difficult toys to keep fully stocked tends to be for boys and girls ages 8-12.  Electronics, sports equipment, popular books, and science sets are a hit with that age group, and tween girls tend to enjoy things like jewelry and nail polish.  

Of course brand new, in-the-box toys for any age are welcome.  Please keep price tags on toys or attach a receipt; although parents don’t pay a penny, Servant’s Heart needs to know the value to tally up $100 per child.  Donations for Christmas Assistance can be dropped off at Servant’s Heart’s Community Boutique Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

Servant’s Heart also supplies each family with wrapping paper to wrap up their gifts.  To help fulfill this need, Servant’s Heart would love to have any extra wrapping paper you’ve been holding on to that’s on its way to the recycling bin.  Wrapping paper does not have to be new and unopened; partial rolls are fine.  

Client shopping will kick off on Wednesday, December 15.  While there is not a hard and fast deadline for applying for Christmas assistance, Servant’s Heart is limited by the number of slots they have available for one-on-one shopping shopping experiences.

Servant’s Heart prides itself on making its assistance programs accessible to everyone in the community.  In the spirit of inclusivity, December 16 will be a day dedicated to serving Mint Hill’s Latino Population.  “We will try to have all of our volunteers working that day who speak Spanish,” says Founder and Executive Director Kim Rhodarmer, “because we want our clients to understand the process.  We want them to fully engage and be comfortable in the process.” 

If you’re in need of assistance this holiday season and miss the opportunity to register for Servant’s Heart’s Christmas Assistance Program, don’t fret!  On December 22 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Servant’s Heart will be hosting a Pop Up Christmas event for families in need.  Clients wishing to shop at the Pop Up Christmas event will need to complete a brief interview before selecting toys.  Please bring a picture ID of yourself (driver’s license, green card), social security cards or passports for every person in your home, proof of address (a current utility bill in your name), and proof of income/disability/unemployment for everyone in your home.   

The Pop Up Christmas Event is first come, first served; clients should come without children.  “It’s a different experience than the private, one-on-one appointments,” says Rhodarmer, “but it’s another way to accommodate the need in our community.”

From 2016 to 2020, Servant’s Heart has served 1631 children through their Christmas Assistance program, totalling $131,626 in new toys and gift cards.  “We couldn’t do it without our