In the immortal words of Andy Williams, the holiday season is “the most wonderful time of the year.” For local families who have fallen on hard times, however, it can often be a difficult season. 

To lighten that load, the region’s network of nonprofits features a host of holiday programs—from meals with all the fixings to toy drives and even emergency financial assistance—to make the season feel that much brighter for kids and families in need.

This holiday weekend, we check in with two -- The Father Fred Foundation and Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan — for the scoop on each organization’s mission, upcoming initiatives, and what they need from the community to continue spreading holiday cheer. 

The Father Fred Foundation
Since opening in 1989, The Father Fred Foundation—which aims to continue the legacy of beloved local chaplain Father Edwin Frederick—has become a high-demand haven of community resources and support. 

“The core of everything we do is not only meeting essential needs, but also ensuring dignity and respect,” Executive Director Candice Hamel explains. 

Their largest effort is food assistance, which not only includes the foundation’s famed pantry—a donation-based marketplace that provides free groceries and personal care items—but also community outreach efforts like Blessings in a Backpack (which issues 11,000 snack-packs annually) and the recently-implemented Pantry to Preschool program, both of which help supplement nutritional gaps for families and students without pantry access.  

For those in Traverse Bay’s five-county region, the foundation also offers financial assistance for everything from utility shut-offs to overdue car payments. The final “bucket” covers clothing and household goods, which are also available for free on-site.  

Though Hamel notes that local need always spikes around the holidays—due to all the extras, she says, from purchases to mouths to feed—the organization has recorded astronomical numbers in the last year. 

For starters, she says, food pantry visits spiked by a staggering 53 percent, spurred, in part, by the reduction of SNAP benefits to pre-pandemic levels in March. On top of that, the organization recorded 259 new households visiting the pantry in September alone (though the annual number exceeds 1,000). 

“I don’t know how to describe it other than we’re busting at the seams,” Hamel says. “We’ve got great volunteers and a great staff, but we don’t have one square inch that isn’t being used for programming.”

As for Father Fred’s Christmas wish list? Cash donations stretch the farthest, but there are plenty of other ways to help out. Volunteers, says Hamel, are always welcome (especially for seasonal events), as well as winter-ready donations like warm coats, boots, and meals in a can—bonus points if those cans come with pop-tops!

“The need is very great,” she adds. “We have such a generous community. We’re just asking that they keep contributing.”

Learn more at fatherfred.org.

Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan
Founded in 1937 by pediatrician Dr. Mark Osterlin and the Michigan Children’s Aid Society, Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan specializes in supporting families—especially kids—experiencing transition or crisis.

Fast forward nearly 90 years, and CFS now serves 20 Michigan counties from Manistee to the Mackinac Bridge, connecting children with foster and adoptive families. As part of this program, CFS also provides counseling and trauma services, as well as the notable Wraparound Program (that’s community support for kids) and Safe Haven, which ensures safe exchanges and visitations for families affected by conflict.

In 2014, the organization also merged with Third Level Crisis Intervention Center, a move that further expanded its services to include resources for runaway and at-risk teens. 

“A big piece of what we’re trying to do is prevent the need for foster care,” says Donor Relations Specialist Emma Smith. “I think that all of these programs support that in some way.” 

Though the organization’s larger mission also encompasses the holiday season, CFS also recognizes that this time of year comes with its own set of needs. To ensure they’re met, the foundation offers annual programs like Paper Angels wherein local kids (and adults!) submit holiday wish lists, which are then filled by donors. In the 2022 season alone, the program realized over 500 lists. Cash donations are also accepted, which help pad the year-round Angel Fund that supports local students with extras and unforeseen expenses. 

Other holiday-centric initiatives include providing gifts for refugee families, as well as partnering with local agencies, like Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boots for Kids (which collected more than 70 pairs last year), to ensure holiday gifts and resources reach as many people as possible. 

For CFS, though, it’s direct support that makes the most significant impact. “Our biggest need right now is for more people willing to open up their homes, which is a pretty big ask,” says Smith. Options within this scope range from hosting at-risk youth for a weekend all the way up to becoming a foster family.

“It really takes a village,” she notes. “These kids are here, and we need more people taking responsibility for everyone in our community.”
 
Learn more at cfsnwmi.org.