Our History
SUMMARY
Gifts for Teens was established in 1997 by the American Association of University Women San Jose Branch (AAUW-SJ) and community volunteers in San Jose as a holiday project to support local teenagers living below the poverty line. Many of these disadvantaged teens did not receive any gifts or special attention during holiday celebrations.
OUR IMPACT
These teenagers are often not part of community gift and toy drives and not included in family holiday events. Teens feel left out and overlooked.
Seeing these underserved teens, AAUW and community members started Gifts For Teens. It began with creating holiday gifts for 21 needy teenagers.
Over the last 29 years, GFT has grown, gifting special holiday bags to an estimated 18,000 low income youth in San Jose and Santa Clara
HOW WE OPERATE
GFT is an efficient, effective all volunteer project with no paid staff. 98% of all donations go directly to benefit the teenagers. The work of GFT is supported by donated funds, cash grants and new merchandise donations. Gifts for Teens is dedicated to creating brand new duffels and totes full of special items just for teenage boys and girls.
OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
We work with Silicon Valley community service agencies, including Sacred Heart Community Service (SHCS) and Bill Wilson Center (BWC) each year to identify and serve needy homeless teenagers.
OUR IMPACT
We give them a special personal gift they can use but cannot afford. Gifts For Teens has helped brightened the holidays for thousands of boys and girls each year. We will continue to make these kids feel supported and connected to our Silicon Valley community.
Our teen clients often show up with nothing OR a black garbage bag holding some clothes and personal items. To be able to give them a sturdy bag with new clothes gift cards and essentials is very important. To have something that truly belongs to them means so much to these young teens.
Bill Wilson Center agency staff member
