OUR STORY

Turning Wishes Into Dreams Come True

Founded in 2015, Wished Upon A Child was established to provide holiday assistance to families and children experiencing financial hardship or in need of additional support. We are so proud to have made such a meaningful impact in our community thanks to the help of generous donors and volunteers local to Sussex County and beyond. The core of our work lies in the continuous passion and dedication we bring to this project every year.

We service almost all of the children in Sussex County who are somehow involved with The Division of Child Protection and Permanency. This may mean that they are living in a foster home, or a group home, or they may be living at home with families that are struggling to hold things together. Over the years we have been lucky to experience tremendous growth and also be able to provide Christmas for many additional children and families who need our help. The families we work with are almost all from Sussex and Morris counties and referred to us through Benny's Bodega, school nurses, social workers and various other agencies and organizations. We now also accept self referrals through an application process.

What sets us apart from a general gift collection is that we have created a custom "Dear Santa" form which asks each of these children exactly what they are hoping for most for Christmas. The gifts you see on our sign up lists are what each of these kids is truly dreaming about being under that Christmas Tree when they wake up on Christmas Morning. Even if in most scenarios, that may seem impossible. With the help of our friends, family and amazing community we have been able to provide that Christmas magic to 150+ deserving children every year for the past 8 years.

Please join us by supporting our efforts to make a meaningful difference in the lives of local families in need.