Incourage Community Foundation had the privilege of partnering with the Wood County Community Elves Program during the 2025 holiday season by providing gifts to 60 children in need through grants and donor advised funds through Incourage. During a year when economic shifts have increased the number of families in need, the Community Elves program worked diligently to seek support for 789 children from 344 families in Wood County, nearly quadrupling monetary donations from previous years. The need increased, but so did the amount of support, which is a very proud moment for our community.
What is the Community Elves Program?
While the exact origin has been lost to time, the Community Elves Program has been serving Wood County families for at least 21 years, quietly growing into a beloved tradition that has impacted thousands of children. Each year, Wood County Human Services workers identify and refer families and children in need of gifts and support during the holiday season. These families are identified from within human services, including foster care and guardianship programs, CCS, and CPS, as well as families outside of human services relying on FoodShare benefits.
In many of these cases, families are experiencing financial difficulty due to no fault of their own. Their budgets are stretched, and they simply require some extra help to provide a holiday experience that makes their children feel loved, seen, and validated.
For this reason, all referrals and gift distributions are handled with strict confidentiality, ensuring children and families remain anonymous to donors and sponsors. This commitment to privacy has been central to the Community Elves Program from the beginning, allowing both a need and a want to be met with care and respect while preserving the dignity of every person served and preventing stigma.
Meeting Growing Needs Through Community Support
The goal is to provide every child with four gifts. In previous years, this goal had to be met with $50 – $75 per child. This year, because of the astounding generosity of our community, the Elves were able to spend closer to $100 per child. Some gifts were purchased using monetary donations while others came through donations in-kind, which is typical year over year.
Because the elves truly want to make the holiday special for each child, they thoughtfully cater gifts by age, needs, and preferences, as recorded by the workers who made the referral. It’s not enough to simply provide a gift; the elves strive to spark joy in every individual they serve. But pulling off this kind of operation for over 750 children is no easy task.
Leading the Effort: Ariel Zdun and the Community Elves Team
Ariel Zdun, the program’s Head Elf, oversees the complex coordination of referral requests for children and families, managing both in-kind and purchased gifts made possible by sponsors and donors, and overseeing the extensive shopping, transportation, and delivery logistics needed to bring it all together. This year, as need increased significantly, she also took on the additional responsibility of soliciting donors and sponsors. Beginning her efforts in October, Ariel worked right up until Christmas, ensuring everything went smoothly through the very end.
Thankfully, through her efforts and those of the rest of the Community Elves team, every child received a set of gifts, and every family received a basket with cleaning and hygiene products to support them into the new year. Additionally, the overwhelming response, from individuals and organizations both locally and out of state, provided more than enough for the 2025 program, allowing extra funds to be put back into the program to prepare for next year.
The Impact Behind the Numbers
When asked about the impact this program has had, Ariel shared how grateful families are for the help. Many are brought to tears, feeling blessed and grateful to the program for filling the gaps in their holiday season. As for the Head Elf herself, Ariel stated, “It is the best project ever…it really brightens our spirits.” The sentiment is likely shared throughout Wood County Human Services and among the many workers who contribute to this incredible program. It is truly better to give than to receive, but when you’re the one in need, receiving can truly be a life-changing experience.
How can you get involved?
Even though the Wood County Community Elves Program is a holiday-centered event, you can offer your support year-round. By donating items such as coats, boots, hats, mittens, hygiene items, and school supplies, or by donating a monetary gift, you can help stock the storehouse for next year’s event. Human Services also has a donation closet open year-round to meet the needs of children and families as they come up. Your contribution has the potential to make a difference.
You can reach out to Ariel Zdun any time to learn more about this program and how you can get involved.
Email [email protected] or call 715-421-8669.
Photos courtesy of Ariel Zdun, Head Elf, Wood County Community Elves Program
