For a heartfelt, 2018 version of the joy of giving, look no further than Sierra Forever Families’ Gingerbread Tag Drive, a campaign to collect toys for youth in need. A yearly tradition, the Gingerbread Tag Drive is a feel-good way to celebrate the season and greatly appreciated by our families.

The process involves — first and foremost — involving our children who are awaiting finalization. The Gingerbread Tag Drive works alongside partnering companies and encourages their employee “elves” to hunt down and donate the requested gifts. They are the ones who check the list and check it twice. And they are the ones who shop ‘till they drop and are ready to wrap.

We call our toy drive the Gingerbread Tag because it involves gingerbread-shaped tags that are sent out to our partners. The tags are the children’s list of four wishes gathered by yet more elves — our social workers, who selflessly give their all throughout the year. They are the ones who can be a trusted friend to the child and often know them best. They casually ask the little ones the Ho! Ho! Ho! question, jot it down on the gingerbread tags, and convey them on to the waiting “elves.”

Once those partners complete the task, they “reindeer” the gifts over to our offices and again we check the lists and hand them back to our trusted, on-the-ground social workers to give to the children. During that time our offices are overflowing with gifts and excitement as they are ready to deliver holiday presents to our deserving youth.

Our wish this year, as it is every year, is to transform the lives of children in foster care by building and nurturing permanent families. Meanwhile, if we can facilitate a big, “it-must-be-magic” smile on as many kids as possible during this season of giving, we’re smiling too.