CLDI has partnered with Orchard Elementary and Riverside Middle School, both located in the heart of the South Side, to host our annual South Side Christmas Stores.

• The Orchard Elementary Christmas Store is intended to provide parents with a sense of pride and accomplishment through a dignified means of purchasing gifts this holiday season. 
• The Riverside Middle School Store exists to give students the opportunity to give gifts to family and friends. This year will be the 14th year to host the Orchard Store and our 5th year with the Riverside Store.
• Through our work, we have found that it is a great benefit to assist families in providing for their own needs. Last year, at the Orchard site alone, over 70 families were able to utilize the store to purchase gifts for their children, with over 40 returning families from previous years. We also were able to have over 100 volunteers (which included setting up, wrapping, cleaning, etc.) for the Christmas store. We have many parents express gratitude for this being an option for them and how much it truly helps to love their family and be able to give their kids a good Christmas. 

One of the beautiful aspects of these stores is the premise/philosophy on which it is built. All the gifts are NEW! How does that happen? Community! This could not happen apart from collaboration with others! New gifts are donated and then sold at drastically reduced prices so parents and students alike can see their dollars go much further this holiday season!

That being said, would you be willing to…

• Shop for brand-new gifts! Items could be gifts for kids (lego sets, games, crafts, sports equipment) or items for adults (spa kits, wallets, gloves, speakers, etc.)
• Donate funds (this allows others to purchase gifts to be sold at the stores)

It is important to note that all funds raised for this event are 100% pass-through and any money made from the sale is split with either Orchard or Riverside for their needs and used by our team for summer adventures with students.

Thank you so much! Merry Christmas and we look forward to hearing from you!

Donate

If you’re unsure about what gifts to buy, consider donating to our Christmas Store Fund instead! We will do the shopping and your donation still makes a huge impact.