More than 500 volunteers shop, wrap & deliver Christmas to Hamilton County families in need

Last Saturday, Dec. 14, over 500 cheerful volunteers gathered early at Meijer to serve 81 families in need as part of “Secret Families Day” in Hamilton County.

This single-day event – which supports families with children referred by local schools – provides presents for every member of the family, fully-decorated live trees, food certificates, and essential items that will make a meaningful impact on their lives.

The “Secret” name originated from the donors wanting to keep their sponsorship of a family a secret. But it also means those being served are kept a secret as well. Struggles can occur to anyone, anywhere, and the goal is to help those neighbors with discretion and dignity.

“These are our neighbors: children whose parents are battling illness, families who have lost a breadwinner, or households facing the aftermath of a natural disaster,” Secret Families Executive Director Jay Kern said. “We exist to help these families experience the joy and hope of Christmas during their toughest days and at the same time show them that their neighbors care about them.”

The day began at Meijer in Westfield, where teams of volunteers are assigned a family to shop for. They were provided a list of needs and wants for each family member and allocated money based on the size of the family. Once shopping was complete, the gifts were transported to a shopping workshop at CrossRoads Church at Westfield, where volunteers wrapped the presents and selected additional items donated from toy drives throughout the year. Once the wrapping was complete, the volunteers were given Bibles for the children, a bag of toiletries and household items, a gift card for groceries, and a tree, which all were delivered to the family.

This is truly a county-wide event that serves families across all six public school districts. Likewise, Secret Families is supported by several local organizations across the county, including The Hotel Carmichael in Carmel (volunteer snacks), Wasson Nursery in Fishers (tree donation), Sheridan Fire Department (volunteer support and sponsorship), and Kiwanis of Westfield (volunteer support and sponsorship).

Secret Families relies solely on donations and this effort would not be possible without generous sponsorships from the community. Learn more at secretfamilieshc.org.

About Secret Families of Hamilton County
While Hamilton County is often seen as a prosperous community, the reality is that more than 15,000 people live below the poverty line. This is larger than the entire populations of 11 Indiana counties. Since 2014, Secret Families of Hamilton County has worked with local elementary schools and Hamilton County Youth Assistance to identify and support these families in need. This may be due to the illness or death of a parent, loss of a job, natural disaster or any other number of circumstances.

Secret Families was founded in 2004 in Muncie out of an agreement between a husband and wife to purchase gifts for a struggling family instead of each other. Twenty-one years later, the charity now supports over 350 families annually in Delaware County and has launched six independent affiliates throughout other counties in central Indiana – including Hamilton County.

Photos provided