SPECIAL PROJECTS | Mountain Family Center

Thanksgiving Baskets & Holiday Gifts

While the holidays are generally considered a happy time for most, they can also create a heartbreaking dilemma for families who have to choose between paying rent, heat and other necessities or participating in the traditional festivities of sharing a Thanksgiving meal or providing gifts for their children. These traditions can be an important part of building a family’s strength and harmony. MFC coordinates two programs during the holidays- Thanksgiving Baskets & Holiday Gifts- in an effort to make the season a little brighter for those in need.

Thanksgiving Baskets

Each year, MFC provides the items needed to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal- including a frozen turkey- to over 400 local families. This program would not be possible without several major partnerships, including the Inn at Silvercreek, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, City Market and generous donors and volunteers like YOU who give food, money, or time to help make the program a success. The Thanksgiving Baskets have come to be a favorite MFC program among staff, volunteers and the community, as it truly captures the giving, collaborative spirit of Grand County. To sign-up for a Thanksgiving basket, visit one of our food pantries in Granby or Kremmling. To support this program, you can donate here.

Holiday Gifts

The deadline to register as a participant is November 30, 2022.

Families who are going through a tough time and may not be able to provide gifts for their kids for the holidays can apply to MFC’s Holiday Gift program. Participants list the ages of each of their children, along with a few “wish list” items for each child. Often the requests are simple, such as a new pair of shoes, or some clothes for school. Sponsors then apply to buy gifts, and are matched up with a recipient family.

On average, 300 children (over 100 families) receive gifts through this program each year. Once again, this would not be possible without the generosity of our community.

MFC coordinates with the other holiday gift programs in the county, including Joyful Givers in Grand Lake and the Angel Tree in Cooper Creek Square, to ensure that each family is only supported through one program so that there are enough gifts to go around.

Backpacks and School Supplies

The ability to start back to school prepared with the supplies they need has a significant impact on the emotional well-being of a child. For families living below the poverty line, it can be difficult to purchase the supplies each year. Using the supply lists provided by the schools, and funds generously donated by the community, Mountain Family Center provides backpacks filled with supplies for students in-need. MFC purchases pre-filled backpacks at a discounted rate and distributes them to the local schools. The program serves an average of 350 students every year, which represents about 20% of all students enrolled in the county.

Kids Coats and Boots

If anything could be considered “essential” for a child living in Grand County, it would be winter clothing. MFC often gets requests from local teachers for coats, hats, gloves and boots for children who come to school without them, or come wearing items that are too worn or poorly fitting to keep them warm. For this reason, MFC began collecting winter clothing for kids and now distributes items to over 150 children annually. The primary supporter of this program is the Knights of Columbus group based in Silverthorne, CO who generously provide brand new items to MFC and Grand County each year. Supplemental support from our local community in the form of monetary donations as well as gently used coats, boots, snow pants, hats and gloves are also always appreciated.