N. WHITEHALL TWP., PA. – KidsPeace is getting some extra help this season, with a little holiday magic powered by the community.

69 News Reporter Sydney Kay has more on the local effort in Lehigh County that makes a difference for kids in their care.

Gift wrap is a hot commodity inside the David Small Family Pavilion at KidsPeace in Orefield.

These aren’t the busy working hands of elves; they’re volunteers donating their time to help make this season special for kids.

“This is a way, I think, of the community understanding how much they have a role to play in making sure our kids are taken care of,” said Bob Martin, the Director of Communications/Engagement at KidsPeace.

KidsPeace has been around for more than 140 years providing mental and behavioral health services to children.

Through the nonprofit’s Angels Program, they’ve collected more than 1,000 gifts specifically for children at their facilities.

“It’s nice that we’re able to make that happen for these kids and they feel seen and they really have the dignity of receiving gifts that were thought of and specifically picked for them,” said Elizabeth Ruggiero, the Director of Development at KidsPeace.

Donated by local sponsors, anything from toys, clothing, and hygiene items fill the inside of the pavilion. It’s an event that takes months of planning.

“Just sorting these gifts and making sure they get to the right kid is probably the biggest aspect of this and so we’re incredibly grateful for the well-oiled machine that is here at KidsPeace,” said Ruggiero.

The elbow grease of wrapping marks the homestretch of the holiday surprise and gives hope for the children in their treatment programs to wake up to something magical and to focus on just being a kid.

“They’re struggling with some mental health issues, they’re working through trying to build their resiliency, and it’s also the holidays and they’re not with their family so having these gifts with their names on Christmas morning makes all the difference,” said Paige Keeter, the Senior Program Director at KidsPeace.

KidsPeace officials tell us this event grows every year through community support. They say it represents how their work is helping end the stigma surrounding mental health.