Santa Claus Anonymous distributed approximately 10,500 gift certificates over the holidays, including to 4,000 families that receive aid from the Baltimore Department of Social Services.
The 80-year-old non-profit provides $20 vouchers that are redeemable at local stores for toys, clothing, books and other items. Parents and guardians can then use the gift certificates to shop for their children.
David Thompson, interim director of the city's social services agency, said the partnership with Santa Claus Anonymous goes back many years.
"Their annual 'Give a Child a Christmas' campaign uplifts families," he said in a statement.
Money for the charity is raised through an annual direct mailing that is sent around Thanksgiving to about 250,000 Maryland households. The nonprofit also holds a silent auction and wine and beer tasting in early December to raise cash.
"The need for donations is ever present, and there's still time for Maryland residents to donate this year," David Blumberg, president of the Santa Claus Anonymous' board of directors, said in a statement.
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