Thousands of kids will experience holiday joy thanks to Santa for a Day

Each holiday season, many of the 11 million children nationwide who are living in poverty wake up to a Christmas without gifts under the tree.

For the seventh year, Santa for a Day is working to change this unfortunate and heartbreaking reality, by matching children’s letters with individual donors to deliver smiles and joy to thousands in Chicago, Evanston and six other cities.

A nonprofit headquartered in the Chicago area, Santa for a Day provides children from underserved communities with holiday gifts they have requested in letters to Santa.

Donors can go to santaforaday.org to read letters and fulfill wishes by ordering specific items. Supporters also can make financial donations to help Santa for a Day fulfill more requests.

“Anyone can be Santa for a Day and make some dreams come true for kids who need it the most,” said founder Rich Gentile. “We make it easy for gift givers to fulfill specific wishes, making this a unique experience for both the donor and the recipient.”

This year, the organization plans to reach more than 8,000 children in eight cities — including 1,500 in Chicago and 250 in Evanston. Santa for a Day has helped deliver nearly 60,000 gifts since the effort began in 2018.

With a mission of spreading hope while teaching childhood literacy through the power of the pen, Santa for a Day asks young participants to write letters asking for something educational, something they really want (such as a toy) and something they/their family member really needs.

The letters are transformed into individual online requests, with links that a donor can use to easily make a purchase. Orders are then encrypted and transmitted to online partner Amazon, which sends the gifts to Santa for a Day. The organization holds massive wrapping events, then ships the gifts to the appropriate locations, using shipping partner Uber Freight to power Santa’s sleigh. The gifts are distributed at holiday parties hosted by the housing partners in each city.

The Santa for a Day story began 20 years ago, when founder Rich Gentile was at the post office mailing last-minute gifts. He saw a table filled with thousands of letters to Santa written by Chicago-area children and learned that most of them went unanswered. Gentile realized he could help change this by introducing Santa to today’s world — i.e. putting the letters online so children’s requests could be connected with generous donors who wanted to make a difference. Gentile contacted Congressman Danny Davis, who represents the 7th District in Illinois.

Davis lent his support, and they brought the idea to Washington, D.C. Following a series of bureaucratic delays, Gentile and Davis decided to raise the money on their own and launch the nonprofit in Chicago, working with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) to source letters and distribute the gifts.

After a successful start in Chicago, Gentile and his team grew Santa for a Day to serve more cities, partnering with public housing authorities and local businesses and sports teams. Today, in addition to the Chicago area, it reaches children in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

Gentile says the impact has been tremendous, adding that deep partnerships have contributed to the success and growth of the effort. In addition to the CHA, partners in Chicago this year include iconic local radio station WXRT-FM and live music hall Evanston S.P.A.C.E.

Gentile says volunteers also play a critical role, wrapping thousands of gifts and getting them ready for the distribution parties. This year in Chicago, Santa for a Day wrapping events include help from Northwestern University football players and men’s and women’s basketball players, among others.

There is nothing is more rewarding than seeing the smiles on children’s faces when they receive their gifts, or on their parents’ faces when they realize a burden has been lifted off their shoulders, according to Gentile. “That moment of joy is really what the holidays are all about, and we are so thankful to the donors, volunteers and partners who make Santa for a Day possible.”

To learn more or to purchase a gift, go to www.santaforaday.org.