For the 11th year in a row, Catholic Charities Little Flower Assistance Center has made a significant impact on families in Aurora through our annual Joy Drive, a program dedicated to helping children, teen parents and seniors during the holiday season.
The Joy Drive was originally established in 2000 by the City of Aroura as a city-led giving program, designed to support the most underserved schools in Aurora. When Little Flower opened its doors in 2013, the city entrusted them with administering the program. Since then, the center has expanded its reach, serving thousands of children and families in the community.
This year, the Joy Drive supported nine Aurora schools and one nonprofit organization, providing a total of 516 Joy Boxes to K-8 students. Schools benefiting from the program include Boston K-8 School, Crawford Elementary School, Kenton Elementary School and Montview Elementary School. To ensure the boxes reach those most in need, Little Flower works closely with community liaisons at each school, who identify families that qualify for low-income assistance programs, such as SNAP.
Each Joy Box is thoughtfully curated to meet the needs of the recipients. Longtime volunteer Sharon Kolakowski shared details about what goes into each box:
“The children receive a variety of items to bring them joy and support their needs,” Sharon explained. “Each box contains a bag of candy, socks, hats, gloves, toys and school supplies, like crayons, glue, erasers, markers, pencils, scissors and tissues. We know that by the second semester, many kids are missing or out of supplies.”
The boxes also include personal care items, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, hand sanitizer and chapstick, as well as an age-appropriate book and workbook to encourage reading and learning. Every box comes with a special letter addressed to the child, handwritten by students from Christ the King Roman Catholic School and St. Therese Catholic School, who wrote all 516 notes. Additionally, the boxes contain flyers in English and Spanish to connect families with the resources available at Little Flower.
Supporting Teen Parents and Their Babies
The Joy Drive also supports Aurora Public Schools’ program for teen parents, helping young mothers and fathers continue their education while caring for their children. Through collaboration with a teen parent advocate, Little Flower distributed 30 baskets for babies under three years old. These baskets include toys, diapers, blankets, handmade items like bibs, changing pads and other essentials. Teen parents also received backpacks filled with school supplies and personal care items.
“We supported 29 teen moms and one teen dad this year,” Sharon noted.
Reaching Seniors in Need
In addition to children and teen parents, the Joy Drive provided 70 senior bags to clients of Little Flower’s monthly food program. These bags were filled with practical and comforting items, such as towels, washcloths, body wash, lotion, socks, hats and gloves.
A Community Effort
The success of the Joy Drive is made possible by the generosity of volunteers, schools, businesses and churches. Volunteers begin preparing for the drive in the summer, taking advantage of back-to-school sales to purchase supplies and ensuring everything is ready by December 13.
This year, significant contributions came from Academy Roofing, Air Communities and churches across the Archdiocese of Denver, including St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish and Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, both of which hosted donation drives.
Students from St. Therese Catholic School played an active role in packing bags of candy, while friends, families, and corporate partners came together to pack boxes, baskets, and bags.
“It’s a true community effort,” Sharon said proudly. “From the handwritten letters to the handmade blankets, everything is done with love and care. We work hard to ensure that families from every ethnic group and background receive the support they need.”
As the Joy Drive concludes its 11th year, Catholic Charities Little Flower Center remains steadfast in its mission to bring hope and support to those who need it most. Through the collective kindness of volunteers and donors, the program continues to make the holiday season brighter for Aurora’s children, teens and seniors.
About Catholic Charities Little Flower Assistance Center
Catholic Charities Little Flower Center is a community-focused center dedicated to providing resources, support, and services to low-income families, seniors and individuals in Aurora, Colorado. To learn more about their programs or how to contribute, visit https://ccdenver.org/food/