Youth can come to Bethany for a variety of reasons, and not a single story is exactly the same. Many youth who come to Bethany have experienced some form of trauma, whether that be homelessness, physical and/or sexual abuse, trafficking or neglect. At Bethany, we strive to give youth the resources they need to overcome and continue to grow in their journey.

One challenge at Bethany is the holiday season. Many youth, especially those who are new to Bethany, dread the holidays, particularly Christmas. Some youth, do not have any family they can return to over the holidays, so they spend their Christmas in the cottages on the Bethany campus.

At Christmas time, you can find the youth participating in Christmas-themed groups including a holiday parranda, baking, and eating Christmas cookies, and you can find the cottages competing head-to-head on who has the best decorated cottage. They also enjoy getting dressed up for the annual Christmas Formal.

Every year, the youth at Bethany are asked to make a Christmas wish list, and generous donors make sure each youth receives gifts they asked for.

Please consider helping Bethany Children's Home make the holidays extra special for the youth at Bethany by making a donation or by participating in our Christmas Gift Drive! You can shop from our general Christmas wish list below or call to select items directly from a youth’s individual wish list to help make their holiday wishes come true.

Once you’ve purchased your gifts and are ready to drop them off, please contact Danielle Jean-Louis at 610-589-6833 to schedule a drop-off appointment.

Thank you for helping us spread holiday cheer and make this Christmas season a little brighter for the youth at Bethany!

Christmas 2026