Provide holiday gifts for kids in foster care

The Christmas in July gift drive is hosted by Chick-fil-A Albemarle Road & Mint Hill in partnership with Congregations for Kids. All gifts given will go directly to youth in foster care during the 2025 holiday season.

How does it work?

Between July 14th - 19th bring in a new, unwrapped gift for a kid in foster care (see wishlists below) to participating locations.

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY - JULY 17TH ONLY!

Bring a new, unwrapped toy valued at $5 or more and enjoy a FREE Chick-fil-A Biscuit during breakfast hours or a FREE Chick-fil-A Sandwich during lunch or dinner hours.

One offer per guest, only at participating locations. While supplies last!

Exclusively at Chick-fil-A Albemarle Road or Mint Hill stores.

Chick-fil-a | albemarle road

9010 Albemarle Rd, Charlotte, NC 28227

chick-fil-a | Mint Hill

7404 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd, Mint Hill, NC 28227

By participating in the Christmas in July toy drive, you are helping support kids in foster care living with relatives who have limited resources or are living in group homes, emergency shelters, hospitals, or in therapeutic settings. For many kids in these situations, these gifts will be the only ones they receive this holiday season. Thank you!

 
 

GIFT WISHLIST

All items collected through our Christmas in July event will go directly to youth in the foster care system through our Merry Market event in December.

We’ve made your shopping easier and created lists of our most requested gifts from over the years below and an Amazon wishlist HERE so you can either have them sent to you or straight to our office!

  • INFANTS/BABIES

    Multi-ethnic dolls

    Sorting/nesting/stacking/shape toys, blocks

    Pull/push/musical toys, V-tech, electronic education toys

    PRE-SCHOOL/KIDS

    Multi-ethnic dolls & Barbies, especially those where you can style their hair

    Educational, interactive toys or science kits

    Bikes, ride-on toys, scooters

    Sturdy cars or trucks, remote control cars and trucks

    Role play toys (kitchen sets, dress-up costumes, workshops & tools, lawn keeping)

    Action/superhero figures, animal/dinosaur figures and play sets (Esp. TV & movie characters like Marvel, DC, Paw Patrol, Doc McStuffins, Disney Princess, Elmo, Mickey Mouse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers etc.)

    Building blocks & construction sets, Legos

    YOUTH/TEENS

    Arts/crafts supplies, kits (e.g., tie-dying, candle-making, jewelry-making, etc.)

    Hair accessories (bands, bows), make up, cosmetics, lip gloss, fragrance & cologne (men's and women's)

    Cool lamps and bedroom décor, LED light strips

    Hoop earrings, fake eyelashes, nail polish

    Headphones, wireless earbuds, mp3 players, Blutooth speaker

    Electronic drawing pads

    Pokemon Cards

    Journals, notebooks, drawing or sketching supplies

    Decorative pillows, blankets

    Fanny packs, small purses, small backpacks, sling bags

    Water bottles (name-brand)

    Jewelry for teens

    ALL

    Puzzles & games for all ages

    Crafts & art supplies

    Sporting goods and accessories, balls, outdoor play items

    Bikes, skates, roller blades, skateboards, scooters and helmets/pads

FAQ’s

  • No. Foster care is such a fluid situation and we cannot predict which children will be in care or where they will be living by Christmas time. Our wish-lists are designed to help you purchase our top requested needs and items by both the kids themselves and their social workers who shop for them during Merry Market in December.

  • The Christmas in July toy drive supports CFK’s Merry Market event in December which provides gifts to kids in foster care during the holidays. For some, the gifts received through Merry Market will be the only gifts they receive all year.

  • Please leave the gifts unwrapped as they will be displayed during our Merry Market for social workers to come “shop” for the kids on their caseloads in December.