The Trees That Keep on Giving

 Christmas was made a lot brighter this year for Idaho kids and families, thanks to the many big-hearted people and businesses behind IYR’s annual “Giving Tree” gift drive.

Each December, special Christmas trees are hosted and displayed at Old Navy stores in Boise, Meridian, and Nampa and Toy Town in Meridian with tags holding gift wish lists from kids currently in the care of the Idaho Youth Ranch and their families.

While many individuals bought and donated individual gifts, several area businesses adopted entire families to buy for. The gifts were all delivered to the IYR main office in Boise, where volunteer gift-wrappers put in long hours making sure every present was boxed, wrapped and labeled in time for the big day.

In addition, IYR was one of several Idaho organizations and businesses that collected and donated new and gently used coats and jackets to Bruneel Tires’ annual Coats for Kids drive. IYR thrifts stores collected 193 coats, 44 pairs of gloves, 35 hats and 8 scarves.

Big thanks go out to our volunteer gift wrapping volunteers, including IYR alumna Nicole and her friends as well as teams from Davita Dialysis and CBH Homes! Costco provided top-quality wrapping paper.

Generous sponsors and donors of the gifts in all those pretty boxes included:

Kendall Ford
CliftonLarsonAllen
RM Mechanical
Boise Noon Optimist Club
Boise Old Navy
Meridian Old Navy
Nampa Old Navy
Toy Town Meridian
Micron Boise Legal Team
St. Alphonsus Cancer Center – Boise
Red Rock Christian Church
Boise Chamber Ambassadors
Target – Nampa (also wrapped gifts)
Local families who adopted families or programs
Hundreds of individuals who purchased gifts from Giving Trees
Costco (gift wrapping paper)

IYR Executive Administrative Assistant Susan Visser coordinates the Giving Trees project every year, and is always amazed and moved by the number of people willing to help and the quality and quantity of donated presents. “People are just so generous,” she said simply.