2026 News

Goal Plan for 2026

This year we are planning to create and distribute 845 total gift bags for teens. We are focused on community work days to assemble and complete all the teen bags. We allocated our budget to purchasing new items for this group. These teens have unique needs because of the challenges of their living situations.

2025 News

Goal Met for 2025

This year we met our goal to create and distribute 845 total gift bags for teens. We focused on the needs of 17-24 year olds in foster care and temporary housing. We allocated our budget to purchasing new items for this group. These teens have unique needs because of the challenges of their living situations.

Dorris Miller Foundation gifts $25,000

The Dorris Miller bequest of $25,000 funded $50 gift cards, phone chargers, and earbuds for older youth.

S.D Trombetta Foundation gifts $20,000

The S.D. Trombetta Foundation donated $20,000. It was used for older teen products like new duffel bags, warm sweatshirts, and $50 store gift cards.

Almaden Valley Women's Club donates $1,000

Almaden Valley Women's Club donated $1,000 toward buying new duffels. The Almaden Valley Women's Club chose Gifts For Teens for the grant saying, "We are impressed with your organization and goals and are thrilled to continue our support."

Thank you, Lush, Thrive Causemetics, and Bombas Socks

Major donations, included colorful cosmetics from Thrive Causemetics,

3,000 pairs of warm Bombas socks, and Lush luxurious bath products for every teen.

Our Social Services Partners

We continued our partnership with both Sacred Heart Community Services and the Bill Wilson Center to support their teen clients.

2024 News

Goal Met for 2024!

In 2024, 806 gift bags - totes, duffels and backpacks - full of wonderful contents went out to needy local teens! There were 544 brimming bags that went to Sacred Heart Community Service (SCHS). Bill Wilson Center collected 262 large festive bags for their homeless teen clients.

• 650 regular bags

• 110 special backpacks

• 24 Gender Neutral bags

• 24 SF Giants sports memorabilia backpacks full of Warriors and Sharks items too

Project 110 Backpacks

GFT held a special project to fill 110 new backpacks in addition to 700 large duffel and totes. It was extremely successful! The backpacks were carefully filled with nicely prepared sports-team T-shirts, $75 in gift cards, comfortable sports shorts and lounge pants or PJ's, hygiene kit, cosmetics, and more. A smaller package than our large duffels, but every bit as valuable. The backpacks looked terrific! All 110 were for Sacred Heart Community Service teens.

Thank you, Bill Wilson Center

The Bill Wilson Center project managers who collected 262 new gift bags were excited to see the many colorful totes and duffels and pleased to learn about the bag contents for this year! Their Homeless Drop-In site manager was especially enthusiastic about the many new personal and valuable gifts inside for each teen.

"The Bill Wilson Center thanks the San Jose branch of the American Association of University Women for its "Gifts for Teens" program, which supplied more than 250 new sturdy duffel bags filled with new sweatshirts, personal care items, and more for our youth."