For decades, Cary neighbors quietly bought gifts for needy families. Now they’re ‘angel shoppers’

It all started with a cardboard panel covered in gift wrap and displayed outside a door in Cary.

The display held envelopes with wish lists from children and families in need. Neighbors claimed wish-list items, purchased them and left the presents at the door to be distributed.

Over the years, the grassroots movement has turned into the nonprofit organization The Giving Door Inc., dedicated to “adopting” children and families who are currently being helped by agencies across McHenry County.

“It has grown immensely over the last, probably, three or four years,” The Giving Door Executive Director Jill Panko said. “It has really just blossomed.”

Panko started the program 22 years ago when she moved to Cary and noticed the area did not have anything similar to a program she participated in Indiana. By reaching out to the McHenry County Housing Authority, she was able to start a small program, which has snowballed into a movement that collects items year-round.

This year, The Giving Door has more than 300 children and a dozen families to be adopted by what Panko calls her “angel shoppers.” People from near and far choose children to shop for, buy the presents and leave them for Panko to take care of the rest. Some shoppers have been participating in the program for over 15 years, Panko said.

“It just runs itself,” she said. “I don’t know most of my shoppers.”

To find families who need help, The Giving Door also collaborates with CASA of McHenry County, St. Vincent De Paul, Youth and Family Center of McHenry County and Options & Advocacy for McHenry County.

Children and families who participate request three needs and three wish-list items. Often, Panko will read requests for toys for younger siblings, warm clothing and basic toiletries.

Over the years, The Giving Door slowly grew by word of mouth with other neighborhoods putting up their own doors, while sports teams and Boy Scout groups also caught on.

Now, giving doors — physical and virtual — can be found at local businesses, schools and neighborhoods.

“I am so tickled because we had to make eight physical doors this year,” Panko said.

The Giving Door started as a Christmas program, but has grown to hosting quarterly collections. Previous collections included socks and underwear, outdoor games and toys, school supplies, can openers and plasticware.

One of Panko’s biggest values is to always have gifts with a child’s name on it and always have the shoppers remain anonymous to preserve “everyone’s human dignity,” she said.

“You’re talking about really precious people that are either not getting enough hours at work, or they’re between jobs or something like that, and they just need a little help,” she said. “The program is not set up to be their Christmas every single year.”

This is the first year Panko has taken volunteers to help her organize the work of linking families with shoppers, collecting gifts and connecting with more agencies. Volunteer and shopper Andrea Neckopulos is also putting up a giving door in her Cary neighborhood this year.

Neckopulos was introduced to The Giving Door about eight years ago because of a giving door set up at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Cary, which her children attended.

She has been inspired to participate for so many years because of her sister’s adopted children. Watching them grow up, it’s important for kids to know “that someone is paying attention to them,” she said.

As The Giving Door continues to grow each year, Panko’s dream is eventually to create a resale store where clients can “shop” for free, everyday items.

Anyone looking to support The Giving Door can sign up to be a shopper or donate at thegivingdoor.org or reach out to Panko directly at jill@thegivingdoor.org or (224) 388-6149.

“I just love my motto,” Panko said. “We remain anonymous, yet we are very known to those we help in a way we’ll never know.”