About the Drive
Christmas 2011 marks the 18th year of the Navajo Child Drive.
The purpose of this project is to provide Christmas food baskets and a few simple gifts for the neediest children and their families. The families and children that Santa would not otherwise be able to visit.
Our catchment area is the eastern portion of the Navajo Nation, an area of New Mexico that lies in the “four corners” region; New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado.
The Eastern Navajo Child Drive is administered by the Board of Directors.
History
In 1993 Kathy Spitz, then Director of Special Education, and Louise Thompson, Care Coordinator, Eastern Navajo Agency, Crownpoint, New Mexico, and the Special Education Team, determined to make the Christmas holidays a little brighter for a few families with whom they worked.
Our first criteria was that each family would include a child with special needs that we provided services for within Eastern Navajo Agency.
Since that first Christmas, when 25 special needs children were visited by Santa’s elves, the Navajo Child Drive has experienced tremendous growth. During our 2010 Child Drive, we had the privilege of delivering to 155 families a holiday basket of food along with all the special gifts, wrapped, bowed, and tagged for over 450 of our children.
For sponsors who rather we shop, “Santa” boxes are wrapped & tagged for $20. $150 sponsors a family with 4 children including the Holiday basket & one fleece blanket.