Lake Community Christmas program supports more than 250 children

The ninth annual Lake Community Christmas program wrapped up in 2025, and organizers say it was a resounding success. The program provided Christmas gifts for more than 200 children, with a final tally showing 97 families and 257 children positively impacted.

Lake Community Christmas is dedicated to providing joyful holiday experiences for families in need in Lake Township. The program partners with local churches and organizations, including Lake Township FISH, Love Our Community, Lake Local Schools – Lake Cares, and Lake Center Christian School, to identify families who could use extra support during the holiday season. After the first day of the drive, Lake Cares shared, “Lake Local and our amazing community partners REALLY showed up for our families this year. We were absolutely blown away by the number of donations that poured in. Every single item helps our district’s families get to be the hero on Christmas morning for their kiddos. Thank you, truly, for the kindness, generosity, and support you continue to show. Our community is something special.”

A photo from the event shows St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church’s Garnes Hall filled with organized gifts ready for parents to shop on Wednesday, Dec. 10, Thursday, Dec. 11, and Friday, Dec. 12. All donations were requested by Nov. 25 and delivered to St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church, where they were stored and organized ahead of the shopping days. Multiple donation drop-off locations were set up throughout the community, including Lake YMCA, Lake Library, CFP Designs, Hartville Sports Cards, The Front Porch Cafe, Consumers National Bank, Lake Township FISH and Love Our Community.

Organizers noted the program actually begins each year with “Christmas in July,” when community members are encouraged to start donating early. “We’re already dreaming of a joyful Christmas for every family in our community,” Lake Community Christmas shared during the summer. “Let’s get a head start on the season of giving together.”

Lake Cares sent letters to parents in the Lake Local School District inviting them to participate in the donation drive. Parents were encouraged to purchase a gift for a child in their own child’s grade level, using grade-level wish lists designed to help students select age-appropriate gifts. Wish lists were created for Stark County Integrated Preschool and kindergarten through sixth grade, as well as Lake Middle High School. Gift cards were encouraged for teens. Financial donations were also accepted to allow the planning team to shop for additional needs.

Families seeking assistance were required to complete an application to participate. To qualify for multiple years, families had to be actively working with one of the partner nonprofits, such as Lake Township FISH or Love Our Community, to ensure ongoing support beyond the holiday season. Applicants also confirmed they were the parent or legal guardian of the children listed, that the children lived in their household, and that only children under 18 or not yet graduated from high school were included.