Child and Family Charities

Over the past 110 years, Child and Family Charities has grown into a multi-service organization. Through six divisions and 30 programs, Child and Family Charities, a private nonprofit, provides a broad spectrum of care to over 15,000 people in Michigan directed at helping abused/traumatized children, and youth and keeping families intact while strengthening the community's health, happiness, and self-sufficiency.

Operation Good Cheer is an entirely volunteer program through Child and Family Charities that provides holiday gifts to foster children across Michigan. Child and Family Services of Michigan started the program in 1971 with 66 children. Since then, we have helped over 50,000 total children have the holidays they deserve. A year ago, Child and Family Services of Michigan and Child and Family Charities merged, with Child and Family Charities taking on Operation Good Cheer.

The children that receive gifts are some of our most vulnerable. Children that go into foster care have experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect. Operation Good Cheer provides a bright light in their lives. The holidays give some children the first Christmas they have had, and to others, it brings a sense of well-being with its familiarity. Operation Good Cheer builds the self-esteem, and confidence of its participants, by allowing children in care to “be like other kids,” sometimes for the first time in their lives. Giving a child who has gone through the trauma that preceded their placement, but then also the disturbance from being removed from the only home they have known, the knowledge that “people really do care” about them creates a sense of belonging. This assists in inspiring them to achieve greater things, and make decisions that will further enhance and enrich their lives. 

To participate, foster children turn in wishlists of six items, which are then sent to generous donors. Donors purchase at least three gifts -- though many purchase more! -- and wrap them carefully. On the first Friday of December, the gifts filter into a hanger at the Oakland County Airport, where hundreds of volunteers sort thems. 

The next day, the Spirit of Good Cheer flight takes place. All of the carefully sorted gifts are loaded onto private planes and semi-trucks, then they are flown and driven to the foster children so that they can have a holiday season like any other child. 

The children who take part in Operation Good Cheer create letters, cards, and drawings in thanks to the many generous donors who make Operation Good Cheer a success; our agency forwards these gestures of thanks to the appropriate donor after the gifts have been delivered. 

Operation Good Cheer’s goal is to give each child in foster care an enjoyable holiday.  And every year there seems to be more and more need, Operation Good Cheer has to obtain additional donors, pilots, and volunteers to serve the rising number of children.  Donors and volunteers are critical to the success of Operation Good Cheer. We ensure that all children enrolled in Operation Good Cheer are placed with a donor and that a minimum of three gifts are purchased for each child. And most importantly, we help to ensure to spread the Spirit of Good Cheer.

To help us spread the Spirit of Good Cheer, join a team or start your own and give foster kids the holidays they deserve.