Christmas Clearing Council helps children in need at Christmas

The Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County (CCC) promotes and coordinates giving to families in need during the Christmas season. We provide a clearinghouse that matches these families with area groups, families, businesses, and individuals who wish to help people less fortunate on a person-to-person basis. In 2010 we coordinated giving to more than 4,500 children in 1,900 families in Waukesha County.

CCC Celebrates More Than 60 years of Christmas Giving

In 1949, radio station WAUX began the Empty Stocking Club, an organization that collected money, clothes and toys for distribution through the City Welfare Office to needy families during the Christmas season. By 1955, with more than 81 families receiving help, the Waukesha Service Club and Jaycettes, working with the Health and Welfare Section of Waukesha County Council of Social Agencies, managed this program. Within a few years, it was operated as an independent organization, now called Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County. Christmas Clearing Council was officially incorporated and chartered as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization in 1979.

CCC’s giving program relies on hundreds of community volunteers

Families in need are referred to the Christmas Clearing Council by a number of agencies who qualify families based on income, residence and placement. The Christmas giving program includes sponsorship, a Toy Shop and gift certificates mailed directly to older children, ages 12-18. The sponsorship program matches a needy family with an individual, family or organization that wishes to help them on a one-to-one basis. Sponsors are asked to provide each eligible child with the value of about $60 in gifts that reflect the child’s needs and wants. Sponsors deliver the gifts directly to the family. Families who are not sponsored are invited to a Toy Shop held the Saturday before Christmas, where they are able to select new toys and gifts for their children. These toys and other items are donated by the community through local toy drives or at public toy collection sites organized by CCC at more than 70 local businesses and fire stations. Older children receive gift certificates.

All of this is accomplished with the help of hundreds of community volunteers, three part-time staff members, a volunteer board of directors and many generous donors throughout the county. Staff and board members, with volunteer help, coordinate mailings and appeals, activities and projects, collect, enter and match applications from families and sponsors, and organize and operate the Toy Shop. CCC also purchases new bikes (at cost) and books to supplement donated toys at our annual Toy Shop.

CCC offers hope and builds a spirit of community

Our program help struggling families participate in the cultural giving that our society experiences each Christmas season. We offer hope to families who feel hopeless. We help relieve family stress during the holiday time and make sure children are not forgotten during this gift-giving season. Many children receive needed clothing and books in addition to toys.

Our program builds a spirit of community giving among youth groups, organizations, families, and individuals, builds awareness of need and promotes volunteerism. Many of our sponsors and volunteers report that the program is the highlight of their holiday season and that their participation provides a meaningful experience for their own children. Most of the Christmas giving is done indirectly with sponsors providing a minimum $60.00 per child and the community donating toys for toy shop. We estimate this indirect giving to be worth more than $180,000. In 2010, more than 1,500 individuals, groups and organizations actively supported our mission.

CCC collaborates with many organizations in the community

We collaborate with more than 40 human service agencies that participate as referral agencies for our clients, e.g. La Casa, Head Start, Waukesha Food Pantry, and the public schools. We work closely with the Salvation Army,  St. Joseph’s Church in Waukesha and other organizations to prevent duplication of giving. In 2007, CCC began processing all applications for Christmas help for the Salvation Army at no cost to them.

Throughout the county, we establish more than 60 temporary toy collection sites at local businesses, police and fire stations. Numerous volunteers transport these toys to our temporary storage site and to the Toy Shop location.

Many schools, service clubs, business organizations, churches, Boy and Girl scout groups, youth organizations, families and individuals participate by raising funds, collecting toys or sponsoring families. In 2010, 640 organizations, families and individuals sponsored 2,400 children through our program. An additional 2010 children received gifts from toy shop, gift cards and coordination with other agencies. Most of our financial donations are gifts from individuals for $100 or less. Between mid-October and late December, 40-50 volunteers work part-time in the office, along with 4 part-time employees. More than 800 volunteers participate in our toy shop effort, with set-up or assisting clients as they shop for their children. Collaboration is the essential component of our success.