Employees At Local Companies Team Up W/ Success 4 Kids & Families To Give Christmas Gifts To Needy

Dec. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- DECEMBER 16, 2011 - TAMPA, FL  - While many Tampa Bay Area families are struggling this Christmas to put food on the table and give their children a decent gift, employees at six local businesses have joined together to ensure the holidays for families in need will be bright.  This year Success 4 Kids and Families is  teaming up with several other outstanding Bay Area companies to give over 300 children a nice Christmas dinner and a substantial gift for the kids.  "We really appreciate the employees this year at these companies, who are digging a little deeper and providing gifts to local kids who otherwise might not have a bright Christmas," says Clara Reynolds, Executive Director of S4KF.

Clara also commented that the type of gifts have become noticeably more practical in the last couple years "Even though the average gifting amount is enough to get the kids a cool electronics toy-most of the kids themselves have asked for something really practical this year-like ‘a pair of shoes without holes in em'- or ‘my first pair of jeans that are not hand-me-downs'-- it really touches your heart."

"We really want to express our thanks to the employees of these organizations- they do an amazing job of ‘adopting' a kid for Christmas"- children fill out ‘wish-lists' and these requests are passed on to the donors.  All families will also receive a full Christmas dinner to prepare in their homes so that everyone in the family benefits from the program.  "We have grown substantially in the last couple years and we truly appreciate the partner companies and employees that participate in this great local program" reminds Clara--  "We are able to administer these kinds of programs in the Tampa area very efficiently, since our overhead is less than 10%."

Success 4 Kids and Families has won several awards and expanded government contracts as a result of this documented efficiency and noted success rates. Partner Companies and Employees this year include: ConnectWise, Microsoft, Tribridge, First Citrus Bank, Team Psych, and Bouchard Insurance.  Many individual donors and Success 4 Kids & Families Board of Directors in the community provided holiday gifts for children and families as well.

Also, new this year, S4KF is teaming up with IKEA Tampa this holiday season with a soft toy/children's book giveaway to needy kids in the Tampa area.  Customers at the IKEA Tampa store can purchase a plush toy or book for under $20 (as low as 49 cents) to be donated to lower income children in the Tampa area throughout the year.  The donation bin is located near the exit of the store at 1103 N. 22nd Street, Tampa, FL, 33605- (We so happy to be this year's local partner for IKEA Tampa!).  In addition to the toy donation, IKEA will donate $1+ to UNICEF and Save the Children for each toy given.  This program runs through Dec. 24th, so we encourage all friends of S4KF to visit IKEA in Tampa (or online) and purchase a toy and help two great charities at one time!

Thus far, IKEA's toy campaign has donated nearly $50 million to UNICEF and Save the Children, enabling approximately 8 million children in nearly 40 countries to have access to a quality education.  This year, partnering with S4KF allows IKEA Tampa to put a smile on a local kid's face while helping educate children around the world.

S4KF is an award winning Tampa Bay charity that helps out nearly 5000 children and families in Hillsborough County.

S4KF is a non-profit organization providing free in-home educational and social services for families within Hillsborough County and through Healthy Start also supports expectant moms and newborns at risk.

If you are interested in participating in or supporting this event, please contact Clara Reynolds at (813) 490-5490 ext.209 or creynolds@s4kf.org.

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We are a non-profit, in-home treatment program for families operating out of Tampa, FL. Our services are available at no cost to lower income families with children who are having behavioral, emotional or mental health issues in Hillsborough County.