
Happy New Year!
The holiday season is a time for reflection, gratitude, and connection, and as we look back on the incredible success of the 2024 Christmas Baskets Sponsor-A-Family Program, we are overwhelmed with appreciation for this amazing community. Whether you contributed your time, resources, or heartfelt support, your efforts created a ripple of kindness that touched 170 families and seniors, spreading joy to 700 individuals. As you read on, we hope you'll feel the profound impact of your generosity and find inspiration in the stories and acknowledgments that follow.
Together, we made magic happen ... thank you for being part of it.

As we reflect on the holiday season, we are filled with immense gratitude for each of you who contributed to the success of the 2024 Christmas Baskets Sponsor-A-Family Program. Thanks to your generosity, kindness, and tireless efforts, we were able to brighten the holidays for 170 families and seniors, encompassing 700 individuals. Each gift, toy, and act of kindness delivered joy and hope to those who needed it most.
Your contributions, whether through gifts, donations, wrapping, organizing, or delivering—were the embodiment of the loving kindness that defines our community. On behalf of all the families and seniors whose lives you touched, thank you for making the holidays so much brighter.
Here is just one of the heartfelt thank-you notes we’ve already received:
"We want to express our sincere gratitude for the generous gifts we have received. This Christmas, your support has been a true gift for our family, and we cannot help but feel deeply grateful for your kindness and solidarity. Thanks to your help, our Christmas will be much more special and full of joy. We wish you a very Merry Christmas, full of love, peace, and blessings. May the coming year bring you all the best always. Thank you and thank you very much."
Special Thanks to Our Amazing Community:
-
Family Adopters: Your thoughtful planning, shopping, wrapping, and organizing ensured that each family and senior felt the magic of the season.
-
Unsung Heroes: We extend our heartfelt thanks to the D41 and D89 social workers, student services staff, and family liaisons who work tirelessly to identify recipient families and communicate with them. Their dedication and behind-the-scenes efforts are vital to the success of our mission.
-
Super Thursday Volunteers: Thank you to everyone who gave their time and energy to transform an empty gym into a bustling Santa's workshop filled with gifts, food, toys, toiletries, and other essentials. A special thank you to our all-day volunteers who stayed until every last gift was wrapped, organized, packed, and ready to roll on Delivery Day. Your unwavering dedication to the day and to our program is deeply appreciated. We simply could not accomplish what we do without your commitment, hard work, and willingness to go above and beyond.
-
Parkview Community Church: Thank you for hosting us in your beautiful space and supporting this whirlwind project year after year.
-
Community Partners: Kiwanis Club, Glen House Food Pantry, and Glen Ellyn Rotary played a key role in ensuring food and grocery cards were included as essential parts of our baskets. Additionally, Rotary provided fresh citrus fruit, offering a nutritious and thoughtful treat for the families and seniors we served.
-
Toy Drive Hosts: Schools, businesses, and organizations that generously supported our efforts include: Abraham Lincoln Elementary, Parkview Elementary, Churchill Elementary, Arbor View Elementary, Westfield Elementary, Forest Glen Elementary, Glen Ellyn Pediatric Dentistry, Two Hound Red Brewing Co., Barberia, Inc., Glen Ellyn Newcomers, Blonde Boutique, Pickled! Wheaton, the Glen Ellyn Alliance, Butterfield Park District, and Spring Avenue and Main Street Rec Centers/GE Park District, as well as various church groups, neighborhoods, and private organizations. A special thank you to Butterfield Park District, which is new to our program and exceeded our toy collection expectations. Your contributions filled our collection boxes to the brim with toys.
-
Toiletry Drive Champions: Special thanks to Glenbard West for organizing an incredible toiletry drive. Your efforts not only filled two SUVs to the brim but also ensured that all 170 families and seniors we served received essential toiletries. Your generosity and community spirit were truly inspiring, and we are so grateful for your outstanding support.
-
Practical Generosity: Thank you to Combined Sales for your annual donation of a skid of toilet paper. This essential contribution ensures that our families and seniors receive much-needed supplies, adding a practical touch to our baskets.
-
Delivery Day Angels: The Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Department and countless volunteers ensured gifts and essentials reached families’ doors despite the challenges of Delivery Day. Special thanks to the Glenbard South and Glenbard West Key Clubs for their invaluable help packing up cars, vans, and trucks for our delivery day volunteers to bring joy to the families. Your efforts were vital in ensuring that deliveries were smooth and efficient.
-
Glen Ellyn Junior Woman’s Club Members: Your dedication, coordination, and efforts brought everything together seamlessly. Truly, you are the heart of our efforts, and we are endlessly grateful for your support!
Every year, this program goes beyond material support. It brings encouragement, community connection, and hope to families and seniors in need. We are deeply grateful for your involvement and hope to see you join us again next year.
Wishing you a joyful and prosperous new year filled with blessings of family, friends, and community.
In gratitude,
Lynn Lullo and Dawn Cassata
On behalf of the Glen Ellyn Junior Woman’s Club
P.S.
We’d love for you to relive the joy and memories captured during the program! Check out the photos in our Christmas Baskets Sponsor-A-Family Program 2024 Google Drive. If you have your own photos, stories, or moments to share, we’d be thrilled to include them. Feel free to email us at glenellynjuniors@gmail.com or upload them directly to the Drive!

Don’t miss the heartfelt thank-you notes from the recipient families and the wonderful photos capturing every step of this magical journey - from the first preparations of Super Thursday to the excitement of Delivery Day.
Scroll down and enjoy the moments you helped create! ❤️
Dear ladies of Glen Ellyn Junior Woman’s Club,
I wish to thank each one of you and also the family who put together all my gifts! ❤️ It was so much fun opening everything – just like when I was 10 years old.
The special things that I asked for are perfect, and all the extra bags of things we so nice – again, just like I was 10!
Thank you again, all of you, and I wish everyone of you has a wonderful Christmas time with your families and friends. I’ll never forget you. ❤️
Merry Christmas!
- HH, Recipient Senior
Thank you so much for such a generous gesture, thank you for the love you sent in every item you sent! We pray for your wonderful family and we hope that God and life fill you with the greatest blessings!
- Recipient Family
We want to thank you for the gifts that you gave to our family. We really needed the help as this year is a tough one for us. It is really heartfelt and appreciated.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Thank you so much.
- Recipient Family
Thank you for the wonderful gifts of care and wellbeing. During the days of uncertainty, it’s such a blessing to know there are sponsors like yourself and the full assembled team taking time and resources to brighten the lives of people like myself. I thank God for good people like you.
Merry Christmas to all of you and know you all have a special place in my heart.
Happy Holidays,
- M, Recipient Senior
Good afternoon, dear community, our family is super grateful, with such beautiful and timely details, there are no words to thank you at these moments for our family, you are like angels. Blessings and may God bless the people who make this possible 🙏 coming to bring a smile 😃 from the heart ❤️ thank you!
- Recipient Family
Dear Glen Ellyn Junior Woman’s Club,
Thank you a million times – from the bottom of our hearts – for your wonderful generosity.
Wishing you all the best of this life always!
Merry Christmas!
- R&M, Recipient Seniors
2024 Pictures

Toy Drive
Thank You for Supporting the Christmas Baskets Toy Drive!
We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our community in making this year’s toy drive a success. Your contributions brought joy to countless children this holiday season.
A heartfelt thank you to the schools, businesses, and organizations that participated, including Abraham Lincoln, Parkview, Churchill, Arbor View, Westfield, and Forest Glen Elementary Schools, Glen Ellyn Pediatric Dentistry, Two Hound Red Brewing Co., Barberia, Inc., Blonde Boutique, Pickled! Wheaton, the Glen Ellyn Alliance, Butterfield Park District, and Spring Avenue and Main Street Rec Centers, along with many church groups, neighborhoods, and private donors.
A special shoutout to Butterfield Park District, new to our program this year, for exceeding all expectations. Your efforts truly made the holidays brighter. Thank you!
Our Volunteers!
