Ukiah Valley Christmas Effort delivers a quality holiday to needy families

UKIAH, CA., 12/21/24 — Now nearly 75 years old, the Ukiah Valley Christmas Effort was started by a group of teachers in 1945. The teachers saw that many children would receive no gifts for Christmas and resolved to do something about it. That mission remains—and the result is a tradition for many families in the greater Ukiah area, both to give and to receive.

“Of course, it’s evolved with the times,” said Sheryl Graves, who has volunteered with the organization for the past 11 years. “Our intention is to provide families that are in high need a quality Christmas. A lot of people can go to the Dollar Store and buy small tokens. But our mission is to provide those families with gifts that we would be happy to put under our own trees. They absolutely deserve that.”

The nonprofit serves between 415-450 families each year, totaling around 1100-1300 children from birth to 18. A lot of care goes into the gifts: “A 17-year-old does not get a toy,” Graves said. Each child receives two thoughtful gifts.

Gifts are just part of the tradition. The group also brings food for a good dinner. “We’re not cooking and serving it,” Graves explained. “We provide them with food that can last them for longer than a day. They get a bag of carrots, a bag of potatoes, a bag of oranges, healthy things, not canned goods. We are absolutely not slap-dabbing anything together, not with the gifts and not with the food.”

Graves said one of the most visual pieces is delivery day on the morning of Christmas Eve. People line up in their cars to be loaded with gifts and food to deliver to families from Hopland to Potter Valley. “The volunteers’ cars are lined up for blocks,” she said. “Some families say this is how they kick off their family holiday. They have their coffee and hot chocolate and get in line to load up gifts and food for three or four families. Some of them even come back and make a second run to another group of families.”

Graves said she has no idea how many volunteers take part, but she estimated that it had to be over 200. Delivery day is only one facet of the effort. Volunteers do all the buying of gifts and food, wrapping, bagging, and distribution. A high school baseball team unloaded a truck, people drop by to help wrap or figure out presents. It’s a giant group effort, and it is solely volunteer-run, a rarity these days. “Time and time again, I am reminded how wonderful our community is,” Graves said. “And you know what? It fills my heart up.”