Hillside Special Santas offers time-saving holiday donation tools

Do you want to help others this holiday season, but don’t have any time to do so? If that is the case, Hillside Special Santas has a way for you to help children and families in need and save time. Simply log on to the Hillside Special Santas Web site.

Hillside Special Santas will help more than 5,900 youth from 4,000 families served by Hillside Family of Agencies this holiday season. To meet its goal, the program has created a user-friendly web experience for those in the community who want to make a difference in the lives of children and families this holiday season.

“At Hillside Special Santas, we understand that time is a precious commodity–especially during the holidays. That’s why our Web site has several time-saving options for donors so that they can help youth and families in need when and how they prefer,” said Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas manager.

One of these options is the Hillside Special Santas online Personal Shopper tool. By going to the Web site (http://www.hillside.com/Donate/Santas/index.htm), time-strapped browsers select what gift they want to donate and in whatever amount they prefer—all without the hassle of trudging out to the store to buy it themselves. Individuals, families, students, community groups, businesses, religious organizations, and all others have the option of selecting any number of the most needed gifts this holiday season and designate where the gift or gifts will actually be donated.

Hillside Special Santas Personal Shopper gift options range in price from $5 to $25 each, and include such items as learning toys, books, journals, gloves, hoodies, portable music players, teen-oriented gift cards, and grocery gift cards. Donations are made through a secure server by credit card. Gifts can be designated to youth in services in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, or wherever most needed.

In addition to the Personal Shopper, anyone accessing the site can also utilize the online donation feature. The money donated in this manner will go directly to Hillside Special Santas and help the program provide such things as grocery gift certificates to families in need.

To become a Hillside Special Santa or to learn more about the online personal shopper tool log on to the Hillside Special Santas Web site, or follow the reindeer at www.Hillside.com.

Follow the new reindeer logo to become a Hillside Special Santa

Much like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer leads the way for Santa Claus in the popular holiday tune, Hillside Special Santas has a reindeer leading the way for children and families served by Hillside Family of Agencies.

The reindeer is the holiday giving program’s new logo, replacing the three Santa hat design that had been utilized for many years.

Sally Bohne, Hillside Special Santas program manager, believes the reindeer was the perfect choice for the new logo because it is an image that is reminiscent of children and the fun of the holidays.

“We hope that people will follow the reindeer and become a Hillside Special Santa this year,” says Bohne, noting that her favorite moments during Hillside Special Santas come when she is listening to a donor tell her how excited he or she is about giving gifts to the children and families.

“Many donors show me each gift they’ve purchased and I tell them the joy they’re feeling is not even close to how much joy a child feels,” says Bohne.

The Hillside Special Santas Reindeer is hoping you will find him at www.Hillside.com. By clicking on the Reindeer, individuals, families, students, community groups, businesses, religious organizations, and all others can learn how to make the holiday season brighter for the 5,900 youth from 4,000 families in central and western New York served by Hillside Family of Agencies that Hillside Special Santas will help this year.

Bohne adds that families and office groups looking for holiday projects are just a click away from the Hillside Special Santas Reindeer. There she says they will learn about the needs of the children and families in the greater Buffalo, Syracuse, or Rochester area.

Follow the Reindeer to www.Hillside.com and become a Hillside Special Santa today!