Buckner Children’s Village has been caring for the needs of abused and neglected children of Southeast Texas for 38 years, providing healing and restoration in a loving and safe environment for boys and girls ages 5-18. A non-profit multi-service organization, Buckner is devoted to protecting children, promoting independence and building strong families. As a licensed Child Placing Agency, Buckner recruits and trains foster care parents and provides STAR (Services To At-Risk Youth) and TRAIL (Transitioning to Responsible Adult Independent Living), community outreach programs. In addition, Buckner FYi Center (Fostering Youth Independence) continues services to foster youth age 16-25, who are learning to live independently.

Santa, please bring us…

• Loving, Foster Care and Adoptive Families
• Youth Study Bibles
• Personal Care Items (plush towels, wash clothes, shampoo, conditioners, soaps, gel, toothbrushes, body sprays and lotions, shaving cream, brushes, combs, powder, Q-tips
• Rainy Day Arts & Crafts
• Volleyball Net (industrial strength), along with sports equipment – volleyballs, baseballs, bats, mitts, basketballs, footballs, etc.
• Straightening Irons for hair
• New Board Games
• PS2 Games (for the Emergency Shelter)
• Fishing Poles and tackle boxes with gear for freshwater lakes/pond fishing
• The girls would love to have their own make-up (eye shadow, lip gloss, mascara, blush) and Hair Products like scrunches, barrettes, ribbons, hair bands, etc…
• Multi-cultural dolls and doll houses
• Children’s books, board games, puzzles
• Models (airplanes, cars, etc.) for the boys to build
• Scrapbooks, Journals, and Photo Albums for the kids to make “life books”
• New Stuffed Animals
• Videos like Veggie Tales / Disney
• Birthday Supplies
• Coloring Books and Crayons
• New Twin Sheets and matching comforters (4 sets per room)
• Gift Cards to area restaurants, clothing stores, Wal-Mart, Target,  Best Buy, Market Basket and HEB
• Movie and/or Skating passes, Colorado Canyon gift certificates
• Sponsored allowance
• School Supplies

We are blessed by the community support provided through giving trees.  Through giving trees, we strive to ensure that every boy and girl living on our campus, those in foster care and in foster group care, receive a special gift (at least 1 or more) to open on Christmas morning.  Community members can help by pulling a tag from a giving tree.

Giving Trees are currently located at:

* Gulf Credit Union (Groves and Beaumont)

* 5-Point Credit Union in Beaumont

* Calder Woods Retirement Center

* Cheertown in Lumberton

We are also seeking ways to have families adopted during the Christmas season.  We work with families in the community that most definitely won’t have Christmas gifts – or even a Christmas meal without assistance from community friends and partners. Buckner STAR program helps families and children in at-risk situations. Please call Buckner at 866-0976 if you are interested in adopting a family for Christmas!

Buckner also provides guidance and services to youth aging out of the foster care system, helping them transition to living on their own. These young adults, age 17-25, many times, have no family other than Buckner to turn to…many will have nothing for Christmas unless we receive gifts for them. If you’re interested in helping this group, gift cards are best — for food, gas, clothing, or even a Mall certificate.

For community members who prefer to make a monetary donation, these donations can be used to assist those we serve to cover expenses in all of these categories and more. With any of these projects, we are happy to do the shopping for you! We also anticipate receiving children the week of Christmas and after.  Contributions allow us the opportunity to provide a special gift.

When do we need these items?

OPEN HOUSE - We ask that Santa’s helpers  plan to deliver any gifts collected to Buckner Children’s Village on (or before) Dec 16, 4-7pm during our Open House or call Buckner at 409-866-0976 to make other arrangements.

Laura May, Administrator of Buckner Children & Family Services has been working with the organization for nearly 20 years and has seen hundreds of lives impacted by the support of our community. “Christmas is often a tough time for the children at Buckner who are separated from their families,” she said. Fifteen-year-old Amy shared with staff and residents that she was moved by the fact that so many people who don’t even know her, care about her. May added, “I wish every donor could see the smiles that light up the children’s faces on Christmas morning when they have a gift or two to open.”