Get FREE Christmas Gifts and Food in Dekalb County, IL

Goodfellows is a local organization that raises money from community members, organizations, and charities to buy Christmas gifts for less fortunate children. These toys get distributed to children in need at their annual Christmas party or through home delivery if families do not have a way to attend the party.

Salvation Army has designed several programs to help families in need during the holidays and throughout the year. They have the Angel Tree program, connecting families in need with community members and organizations who buy Christmas presents on the family’s wish list and delivers them just before Christmas. They also offer a food pantry offering free bags of groceries, holiday dinner boxes filled with all the ingredients needed for a holiday dinner, a soup kitchen serving hot meals daily, and special holiday meals on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. To qualify for their programs, applicants must have a social security card or birth certificate for everyone living in the home, a valid form of identification, proof of income and expenses, and at least one child aged newborn to 12 years old living in their home full-time.

Toys For Tots collects and stores new, unopened toys from community members, organizations, and charities to provide children of low-income families with presents during the holiday season. They bring these toys to the children just before holidays, allowing every child to have something to open Christmas day. Parents must register their children for the program by clicking the request toys link on their website and filling out the required forms. In addition, applicants must have a social security card or birth certificate for each person living in the home, proof of income and household expenses, a valid form of identification, and at least one child aged infant to 12 years old living in the home.

Get Free Food In DeKalb County, Illinois

Hinckley Area Food Pantry offers their services to low-income, working poor, seniors, and veterans who are struggling to put food on the table in Hinckley, Big Rock, Waterman, and Maple Park. They offer free bags of groceries to residents.

Sycamore United Methodist Church offers the Sycamore pantry inside their church. When a holiday falls on a Monday, the pantry will open at its regular time the following Tuesday. Each visitor can receive food once every thirty days.