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Operation Santa Claus

Every year the Mental Health Association of Frederick County sponsors “Operation Santa Claus“ where we collect gifts for children and adolescents who spend the holidays in psychiatric treatment facilities. We ask our community partners to help make the holiday season special for these young patients by contributing gifts to the Mental Health Association’s annual Operation Santa Claus program. The young people receiving these gifts are residents in, or clients of, the following programs:

The Mental Health Association of Frederick County

Provides abused, neglected children and low income families with a safe environment, counseling services, education, and resources.

The Jefferson School

Provides special education, mental health, and intensive residential treatment services for adolescents with behavioral and emotional disabilities.

Way Station Family Preservation Unit

Provides intensive, in-home services designed to help families resolve crises and stay together. Many of these families may be dealing with substance abuse or incarceration, or the children may be returning home from a recent foster care placement.

Thomas B. Finan Center

Operates a 119-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital operated by the State of Maryland.
Child/Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program at Brook Lane
Allows children/adolescents in crisis to remain in a home-like setting while receiving intensive psychiatric treatment; the end goal is to prevent future psychiatric hospitalizations.

Stone Bridge Transitional Care Home at Brook Lane

Provides housing and treatment for children and adolescents who are in crisis and temporarily without an appropriate place to stay and do not meet the criteria for inpatient care. The goal is to provide housing and crisis intervention to facilitate the transition of the child from one setting to another.

General gift ideas for children 5-12:

Winter coats, hats, gloves, clothing items, socks, pajamas, slippers, dolls, stuffed animals, dolls, action figures, games, video games, puzzles, coloring books, crayons, art supplies, craft kits, play-doh, books, sports equipment, scooters, train sets, educational activities, backpacks, watches, play jewelry, and board games.

General gift ideas for adolescents 12-18:

Winter coats, hats, gloves, socks, sports jerseys, fashionable clothing items (L or XL), pajamas, robes, slippers, underwear, cologne, CD’s, DVD’s, MP3 players, CD players or small radios, video games, art supplies, coloring books, stationary, pens/pencils, diaries, playing cards, puzzles, board games, AA batteries, sports equipment, books, backpacks, jewelry, watches, and sunglasses.

Also see specific requests below.

Specific gift requests for adolescents 12-18:

Clothing: Sports jerseys and hats, plaid shirts, t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts
Electronics: Digital cameras, MP3 players, iPods, walkie talkies, night vision binoculars
Sports: Basketball, football, skateboard, scooters
Gift Certificates: Borders, Bath & Body Works, music stores (Sam Goody, FYE, etc), Target, WalMart, or any trendy teen store.
For safe handling, we request that no glass containers or sharp objects be donated.

Please deliver unwrapped gifts to the Mental Health Association of Frederick County by December 11, 2009.

Contact Cheryl Evans at 301-663-0011 ext. 137 with any questions. The Mental Health Association of Frederick County office is open from 8:30-4:30 weekdays. We are located at 263 W. Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701.

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