Holiday Cheer: 10 Years of Giving

Holiday Cheer started with one simple but unforgettable story. A BOLD employee told CEO Chris Ehrenfeld about the Christmas morning he ran to the tree as a kid, hoping for a special holiday after a year of working hard at school and helping at home. Instead, he found a single Hershey bar with a small red bow. His dad then had to explain their financial reality and why that was all they could afford. That moment of heartbreak stayed with him into adulthood and it stayed with Chris too.

The very next day, Chris received an email from a nonprofit sharing that a local elementary school was finishing its holiday gift drive and still needed donors. When he called, he learned that while 27 children had sponsors, 87 children would wake up with nothing, not even a chocolate bar. With that story fresh in his mind, Chris and the BOLD team decided to step in and cover every child on the list. It was hectic and rushed and took everyone pulling together, but they did it. That first year of Holiday Cheer marked the beginning of a tradition that would eventually help form BOLD Foundation and grow into one of the most meaningful things BOLD does each year.

Now, Holiday Cheer is in its tenth year. What started as a last minute response has become a thoughtful system that supports children and families across Chatham County. At the center of it is Kristine Holm, who quietly leads the effort from start to finish. Kristine coordinates with the local school to gather wish lists from families in need, manages timelines, organizes spreadsheets, communicates with volunteers, and oversees quality control and distribution. She is the one making sure every child is accounted for and every detail is covered.

The process begins with the school partnership. Families fill out detailed wish lists that include clothing and shoe sizes, interests, and specific needs. BOLD Foundation then pre orders winter coats so each child is guaranteed a properly sized coat when the temperatures drop. If a child requests a bike, those are ordered in advance too, since local stores often cannot supply enough all at once.

Once the wish lists are finalized, the BOLD Foundation team organizes them into volunteer packets. Each volunteer receives a list of four or five children, along with a small profile and their wish lists. On shopping day, volunteers from across BOLD Companies head to a local retailer and spend the day shopping with intention. They match sizes, check tags more than once, and choose items that feel personal, not generic. The retailer supports the event with an exclusive checkout lane for BOLD Foundation, which helps keep everything organized.

What the wish lists show each year is telling. Most families are not asking for big ticket items. They are asking for things like winter coats, shoes, pajamas, socks, and other basics to keep their children warm. Many parents add one or two special items, but the focus is on needs, not excess. It is a clear reminder of how much these families are navigating and why Holiday Cheer matters.

After shopping day, everything returns to the BOLD Foundation office. There, the team sorts and checks each bag against the wish lists. If anything is missing, the wrong size, or not quite right, volunteers re shop to fix it. Only when every list is fully complete are the gifts packed into holiday bags. On distribution day, families arrive to pick up their bags and head home with warm coats, clothing, books, toys, and a little more breathing room going into the holidays.

Over a decade, Holiday Cheer has grown in both reach and impact. This year, BOLD Foundation was able to help more than 150 children, making sure they had meaningful gifts and essentials waiting for them. Behind each number is a child who will remember opening something chosen just for them, and a parent who feels seen by their community. Ten years later, what began with one painful memory and a single chocolate bar has become a tradition rooted in care, dignity, and the belief that every child deserves to feel special at Christmas.

To learn more about BOLD Foundation visit beboldnc.org