The lack of a completely finished building didn’t stop City Impact from rolling out the welcome mat and inviting 1,000+ volunteers and 650+ families (representing 3,000+ people) to the 19th annual Gifts of Love™ Christmas Store! This year’s store was special because City Impact was able to bring Gifts of Love™ “home for the holidays” by hosting it at the new City Impact Center, adjacent to Peter Pan Park on N. 33rd Street.
During the 10-day event (set-up to tear-down), low-income families shopped with dignity and ownership. At Gifts of Love™, prices are reduced to 70% off retail prices, making gift giving affordable for these families. 175 students also shopped for their loved ones using earned vouchers during a special “Student Store”. Over $125,000 of new items were purchased through the 2014 store! Monies raised from the sale of items at Gifts of Love™ are used to support City Impact’s year-round programs for urban children and youth.
Gifts of Love™ benefits greatly from the support of the greater Lincoln community. City Impact thanks the 2014 Impact Supporter, UBS Financial Services, as well as the many other business community supporters who invested both with finances and time. City Impact looks forward to a permanent move to the new Center in early to mid-2015.
For more information on how your business can support the 2015 store, contact Angela Pillow at apillow@cityimpact.org or (402) 477-8080. For more information about City Impact, please visit www.cityimpact.org.