Christmas for Kids: 25 Years of Making Christmas Special
While Saint Francis has likely been brightening children’s holidays for decades, Christmas for Kids (CFK) officially began in 2000 – making this the 25th anniversary of the beloved tradition, celebrated during SFM’s 80th year.
Representatives from programs and local offices are serving on the 2025 CFK Committee to ensure that every child and family served by SFM experiences the joy and wonder of the season. This year’s campaign again features Hope Tree cards that connect donors directly with children’s wishes.
“Christmas for Kids is our longest-running and most visible fundraising campaign,” said Ginny Ellis, Executive Director of Development. “Each year, it allows us to share the joy and wonder of Christmas while nurturing relationships across our footprint. It’s a busy season and an enormous undertaking that involves nearly every department – but it generates so much hope and good cheer. It’s truly a highlight of our year.”
Christmas for Kids brings the hope, love, and magic of the season to every child Saint Francis serves – whether in foster care, adoption, residential treatment, or prevention programs that support families working hard to stay whole.
The simple act of making a financial contribution or gift-in-kind to Christmas for Kids has the power to transform a child’s holiday. A toy, a game, or even a new book isn’t just a gift – it’s a reminder that they matter, that they are cherished and remembered.
Saint Francis employees look forward to Christmas for Kids every year as an opportunity to bring Christmas joy to the children and families they serve.
To learn more and support this year’s Christmas for Kids campaign, visit saintfrancisministries.org/christmas-for-kids.
Salina West Gymnasium Gets a Makeover
Thanks to a generous grant from the Soule Family Foundation, the gymnasium at Saint Francis Ministries’ Salina West residential campus has received a long-awaited transformation.
“We completely refreshed Mize Hall Gym, which included the installation of new rubberized flooring,” said Darrin Sewell, Vice President of Residential and Behavioral Health Services.
The renovation also involved repainting and repairing the walls, installing new sound panels, leveling the play surface, adding a new logo, recertifying the rope elements, and upgrading the lighting, wall pads, mats, and backboards. The total project cost was approximately $100,000.
Saint Francis Ministries’ state-of-the-art Salina West campus offers a peaceful, rural environment where young people ages 6-18 can heal and begin anew. Home to SFM’s Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, along with art and equine therapy programs, Salina West provides comprehensive care for youth facing significant mental and behavioral health challenges – helping them build the strength and stability to return home to their families and communities for a healthier, more hopeful life.
The updated gym now provides a bright, safe, and functional space for recreation and physical activity – an essential component of healing and well-being for the youth served at Salina West. Learn more about Salina West at saintfrancisministries.org/kansas/salina-west.
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