Piers Lamb and Julie Kendrick founded Santa’s Cause DC in 2011 with a simple mission: To enhance children’s lives more than just one day a year.

 

From 2012-2018, Santa’s Cause DC partnered with Family Matters of Greater Washington as a charitable gift-giving program for DC-based youth ages 0-21 in the foster care system. The program served approximately 85 foster youth each year dependent upon the caseload of the social workers at Family Matters of Greater Washington and provided all of the children personalized gifts on their birthdays, Christmas holiday, and school supplies for the year. As of 2015, Santa’s Cause DC expanded its support to include the “College Computers” laptop initiative in order to supply recent high school/GED graduates with laptops when they enrolled in their first college or qualifying work training program.  While partnered with Family Matters of Greater Washington, we also offered a “Care Cases” and “First Furniture” program. The first provided luggage for youth transitioning between residences so they did not have to leave behind their personal belongings or carry their possessions in a garbage bag with the aim of providing dignity during stressful relocations. The second provided youth transitioning into their first independent or cooperative housing with starter furniture to help them establish their new homes. After many wonderful years, our partnership with Family Matters of Greater Washington concluded in 2018 due to the restructuring of the DC foster care system and the reallocation of the children to other agencies in the District.   

 

Through the years, Santa also brought a little holiday cheer to the homeless families at DC General and partnered with several local businesses to provide toys and school supplies for some of the most marginalized youth in the District.

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Now we partner with The National Center For Children and Families working to ensure that over 400 DC area foster children receive their Christmas gifts.