Christmas Smiles

Christmas can be a very stressful time. If you need help providing Christmas gifts to your family, the City of Moraine might be able to help you this holiday season. Through this free program, we provide Christmas gifts and a food box for children in need in our community. We collect basic information for each child, including clothing sizes and Christmas wishes. Once we gather all of that information, the children are selected by individuals and families in our local community that want to help.

Those individuals and families purchase Christmas presents for your child, which typically include clothing, shoes, winter necessities, and items from your child’s wish list. We coordinate a day in December for you to come pick everything up well before the actual holiday, to allow you time to wrap your child’s gifts and have a wonderful meal on Christmas day. If you are interested in this program, please see the information below regarding the application process.

Qualifying for the Program 2023

To qualify for the program, your child must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Child must be a Moraine resident.
  • Child must be on free or reduced lunch program through their school (this will be validated through the child’s school).
  • Child must be between the ages of newborn to 17 at the time of application.

Application Process

Step #1: Please complete all of the questions on the online ‘Christmas Smiles Application’ form to submit the first portion of your application for the 2023 Christmas Smiles program with the City of Moraine Parks and Recreation Division. This form must be completed by Thursday, October 19th.

Step #2: You will be required to come in person to the Payne Recreation Center (3800 Main Street, Moraine, Ohio 45439) during one of our designated dates and times to verify your information for the 2023 Christmas Smiles program. See available dates and times below:

  • Tuesday, October 24 from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. or
  • Wednesday, October 25 from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. or
  • Thursday, October 26 from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

You must bring proof of Moraine residency: Acceptable proof must be in your name with your Moraine address listed, also dated within 30 days of the application date. You can provide a water bill (Montgomery County Environmental Services), gas bill (Vectren, CenterPoint Energy, etc.), or electric bill (DP&L or AES) to verify your Moraine residency.

Parent or guardian verification: State issued Photo ID, including a valid Driver’s License or other valid state issued Photo ID.

Child verification: Parent or guardian must bring an official certified birth certificate or court issued documentation of custody for each child.

For more information, please email or call the coordinator over the event: Chris Hakes, Operations Manager at (937) 535-1077 or chakes@moraineoh.org



Ways to Help

Now more than ever is a great time to give back to your community if you have the means to do so this holiday season. Please share in the spirit of the holidays by helping put Christmas Smiles on the faces of Moraine children. All donations must be dropped off at the Payne Recreation Center on or before Tuesday, November 28th. See the many ways you can help below:

Adopt a Child or Family

Visit the Payne Recreation Center or the Gerhardt Civic Center during our current operating hours to sign up to adopt a child or family between Wednesday, November 1st and Wednesday, November 22nd. See our current operating hours below:

Payne Recreation Center (3800 Main Street, Moraine, Ohio 45439)

  • Monday-Friday: 7:00am-7:00pm
  • Saturday: 9:00am-1:00pm

Gerhardt Civic Center (3050 Kreitzer Road, Moraine, Ohio 45439)

  • Monday-Friday: 10:00am-4:00pm
  • Saturday: 12:00pm-6:00pm

Make a Donation

If adopting a child or family is not possible for you this year, you can still make a contribution in a different way! All general donations can be dropped off at the Payne Recreation Center during our current operating hours (as shown above). General donations that we accept include:

  • Monetary Donations in The Form of Cash or Check (Make Payable to The Moraine Foundation)
  • Gift Cards (That Can Be Gifted to Children)
  • Non-Perishable, Non-Expired Food Items
  • New Rolls of Wrapping Paper and Tape
  • New Children’s Toys and Clothing

Link Your Kroger Plus Card

You can also help Christmas Smiles all year long by registering your Kroger Plus Card with Community Rewards. Simply create an account on their website or mobile app. Link your Kroger Plus Card to our organization (The Moraine Foundation).

Volunteer Your Time

We are accepting a limited number of volunteers to assist with Christmas Smiles! This is an excellent way for high school students to obtain their community service credit hours. Volunteers can help with sorting canned goods, preparing food boxes, and assisting with pickup day. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Chris Hakes at chakes@moraineoh.org or (937) 535-1077.