The holiday season is a special time for families to come together, create memories, and share a little extra joy. But for families facing financial challenges, the holidays can also bring added stress and difficult choices.

That’s where our community can make a difference.

Once again, Childcare Network of Evanston (CNE) is bringing our community together to help make the holidays a little brighter for the children and families in our programs. Through the 2026 CNE Holiday Gift Card Drive, generous local sponsors and supporters like you can help families choose gifts that are meaningful to their children and put special food on the table for a holiday meal together.

Our goal: $13,000 in gift cards for CNE families

With your support, we hope to provide each CNE family with gift cards to purchase:

• $50 in gifts for each child enrolled in our Head Start and Early Head Start programs
• $50 in gifts for each additional child in the household
• $50 toward food to help make the family’s holiday meals a little more special

For families, this support is about more than a gift card. It’s about giving parents the opportunity to choose something special for their children. It’s about easing some of the financial pressure that can come with the holidays. And it’s about helping families experience the joy of giving, celebrating, and spending time together.

A simple way to make a meaningful difference
Thanks to our longstanding partnership with Marketing Innovators, your donation goes even further. Marketing Innovators uses the power of bulk purchasing to obtain gift cards at a discount, allowing your generosity to reach more families.

Every dollar donated to the Holiday Gift Card Drive is used to purchase gift cards for CNE families.
The cards are delivered directly to CNE and distributed to families at a festive holiday event in December.

And participating is easy. Simply click the link below, complete the donation form, and enter your payment information securely through PayPal. Then you can feel good knowing that your gift is helping a local family celebrate the holidays with a little more joy.