Agency Details:

Christmas Clearing Council

Christmas Clearing Council, celebrating 60 years of giving in 2009, promotes, coordinates, and provides community giving to children in need during the Christmas holiday season. Our organization works with multiple agencies to avoid the duplication of giving in Waukesha County.

Description:
The Christmas giving program includes sponsorship, a Toy Shop and gift certificates mailed directly to older children, (ages 12-18), who were not matched with a sponsor. Each eligible child receives the value of about $60 in gifts. All of this is accomplished with the help of hundreds of volunteers, three part-time staff members and many generous donors throughout the county.

To qualify for our program, the applicant must live in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, must have placement of their child and their income must meet the qualifications for the federal free and reduced lunch program.

History:
In 1949, radio station WAUX began the Empty Stocking Club, an organization that collected money, clothes and toys for distribution through the City Welfare Office to needy families during the Christmas season. By 1955, with more than 81 families receiving help, the Waukesha Service Club and Jaycettes, working with the Health and Welfare Section of Waukesha County Council of Social Agencies, managed this program. Within a few years, it was operated as an independent, non-profit organization, now called Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County. In 2008, the organization coordinated Christmas giving to more than 4500 children in 1900 families.

Contact people:

Ruth P. Jones, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Sandy Waterhouse, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (262) 549-3608

Address:

P.O. Box 34 Waukesha, WI 53187-0034

Web Site: http://www.christmasclearingcouncil.org

Last updated on October 14, 2009