Home for the Holidays

At St. Vincent de Paul, we believe that everyone deserves to be Home for the Holidays. A safe, stable place to live is the foundation for family, faith, and community, and everything we do helps families remain in their homes. From food and medicine to coats and toys, your generosity relieves the financial pressures that can push families to the edge of homelessness. 

As we look ahead to the 2025 holiday season, there are two important ways you can help. First, by giving to our Holiday Giving Campaign, the backbone of our annual fundraising that sustains all of our programs throughout the year.  

Second, by joining us in our Holiday Programs, because holiday meals, toys, and coats aren’t only expressions of generosity, they also allow families to focus their limited resources on essentials like rent, heat, and transportation. Each coat, each meal, each Christmas gift is more than kindness; it is homelessness prevention. 

Christmas Together

Much like the experience in our Choice Food Pantry, Christmas Together invites parents to take part in the joy of choosing, selecting the gifts they know will bring delight to their children on Christmas morning. While parents shop, children enjoy crafts and activities. The result is a celebration filled with laughter, joy, and the comfort of knowing their family can share in the wonder of the season together. 

How you can help: 

• Host a toy drive with your school, parish, workplace, team, or community group, sign up here or contact drives@svdpcincinnati.org.
• Shop for gifts for kids, teens, and families and drop them off at the Neyer Outreach Center, 1146 William L. Mallory, Sr. Street (formerly Bank St.)
  during these hours:
  • Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m
  • Wednesdays: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. 
  • Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. 
• You can also drop off toy donations at the following OrthoCincy locations during their regular business hours:
  • Ohio – Anderson, Eastgate, Kenwood, West Chester
  • Kentucky – Edgewood, Florence, Highland Heights (NKU)
  • Indiana – Lawrenceburg, Greendale
• If you need gift ideas, or to have gifts shipped directly to us, check out our Amazon Gift List
• Volunteer behind the scenes before the Christmas Together events by sorting and stocking toys or join us at the events to welcome families, assist with shopping, restock gifts, and lead kids’ activities. Sign up here.
  • Saturday, December 13 at the Neyer Outreach Center from 1 – 4 p.m.  
  • Tuesday, December 16 at the Neyer Outreach Center from 5 – 7:30 p.m. 

For questions about donating toys, contact Alex Morton-Green at giving@SVDPcincinnati.org.

Winter Coat Drive

Cincinnati winters are cold, and a warm coat can make all the difference. For families already struggling to cover rent, food, and utilities, the added cost of buying winter gear can be overwhelming, especially as children outgrow their coats year after year. Our Coat Drive collects new and gently used coats, hats, mittens, scarves, and other cold-weather gear so families can stay warm.

How you can help: 

• Donate new or gently used coats and cold-weather gear at any SVDP Thrift Store location during their regular business hours or at the Liz Carter Center Loading Dock at 1125 William L. Mallory, Sr. Street (formerly Bank St.) during these hours:
  • Mondays – Fridays: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. 
  • Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. 

• Host a coat drive with your parish, school, workplace, team, or community group. Learn more and sign up at svdpcincinnati.org/coats. 
• Volunteer to help sort coats ahead of the distribution events or serve during the events by welcoming neighbors, assisting them as they shop, restocking items, and helping at check-out. Sign up here.
  • Saturday, November 8 at Elder High School from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.  
  • Tuesday, December 9 at Clippard YMCA from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.  

Teepe Family Foundation Giving Tree 

The Giving Tree is a beautiful partnership with the Teepe Family Foundation that helps neighbors in need ease Christmas expenses with gift cards. Festive trees adorned with $400 in store and restaurant certificates are delivered to families identified by St. Vincent de Paul, giving parents the ability to purchase holiday meals, gifts, and a few joyful extras.

How you can help

• Sponsor a tree to help provide gift cards to Walmart, Bob Evans, Cincinnati Zoo, King Arthur’s Court, and AMC to a family served by SVDP. A matching grant from Scott & Lyn Teepe will double donations up to $10,000.

• Join the Teepe Family Foundation on Sunday, December 7, from 1 – 3:30 p.m. at Receptions Event Center at 5975 Boymel Drive to help assemble, wrap, and deliver trees to SVDP families.

• Spread the word by inviting your school, parish, workplace, team, or community group to sponsor trees together and help the foundation reach its goal of gifting trees to local families this Christmas.

Donate, register, and learn more at teepefamilyfund.org/giving-tree.

Thanksgiving & Christmas Food Distributions

Our Thanksgiving and Christmas food distributions make it possible for our neighbors in need to enjoy festive meals at home together. From turkeys and sides at Thanksgiving to special treats for Christmas, these programs help provide food for holiday meals so parents can stretch their limited resources to cover other essentials.

How you can help

• Donate food or host a food drive. Rally your school, parish, workplace, team, or community group to collect shelf-stable holiday staples. Contact drives@svdpcincinnati.org.
• Serve at the distribution events by helping with check-in, giving warm drinks to those waiting in line, and assisting neighbors by carrying food items to their cars.
• Thanksgiving: Tuesday, November 25, starting at 9 a.m. (Sign up full – please sign up for Christmas distribution)
• Christmas: Thursday, December 18, starting at 9 a.m. Sign up here. 
  
• Volunteer to prepare meal kits leading up to the distributions. Contact volunteers@svdpcincinnati.org.

Together, these programs make the holidays brighter while also relieving the pressures that can lead families toward homelessness. Thank you for helping more of our neighbors remain safe, stable, and truly Home for the Holidays!

If you are in need of assistance during the holiday season, click below to learn more.