Initiatives
Initiatives are time-bound efforts that support our programs. They are separate from program pages but advance the same mission.
Current Initiatives
Christmas for Kids
Some kids in Vegas won’t have a present to open on Christmas morning. We’re holding events for more than 2,000 of them, and we need at least 6,000 brand-new toys so every child who comes leaves with one. Christmas for Kids is OpportunityToServe’s drive to make those events real. Children come in person. Each one should leave with a brand-new toy — something still in the package, chosen for a child, not a used item passed along from a closet. The day only works if those toys are already in the room when the first child arrives. This is a large drive on purpose. More than 2,000 children are coming through the events. We need at least 6,000 brand-new toys so there is a gift for every child who comes, from infants through grade school. When the shelves run short, a child goes home with nothing to open. That is the gap this page is here to close. We do not collect used toys. What a child receives should be new. You can close that gap in two ways. Both of them become a toy at an event. Give what you can on this page. We’ll use it to buy the toys we don’t have, then take those toys to the events. A gift of any size fills a spot that would otherwise be empty when a child walks in. Or ship brand-new toys yourself. Send them new and unopened to the address below. What arrives is added to the toys we give out at the events. How to help: 1) Ship brand-new toys to: OpportunityToServe 12760 S Park Ave #1173 Riverton, UT 84065 New items only. Please don’t send used, broken, or incomplete toys. 2) Or make a donation on this page. We’ll use it to buy the toys we don’t have. Toys and gifts wanted (new items only): - Toys for ages 0–12 (dolls, action figures, building sets, stuffed animals) - Games, puzzles, and books - Arts and crafts kits - Sports balls and outdoor play items - Age-appropriate gifts for younger kids and grade-schoolers Infants, preschoolers, and grade-schoolers all come to these events, so a mix of ages helps as much as a large stack of the same toy. If you are shopping, choose something a child that age would be glad to unwrap on Christmas morning. Thank you for making sure a child in Vegas has a present to open. All donations go to OpportunityToServe, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and are used at the organization’s discretion to carry out this initiative.
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Las Vegas Christmas for Families
There's a Christmas morning every parent wants for their kids — something warm on the table, a gift under the tree, a home that still feels like home. For too many families in Las Vegas, that morning is out of reach. Rent, work hours, and empty cupboards leave the holiday thin. Las Vegas Christmas for Families is how OpportunityToServe shows up here: holiday meals, gift cards, and household essentials gathered with local partners and placed into homes with dignity — not a warehouse line, a real handoff for neighbors who need it now. This is delivery in Las Vegas, not a brochure. We work with local businesses and community partners to collect what families still need — meal staples, warm clothes, new gifts, the small essentials that make Christmas feel possible — then get it through the door the same season it's needed. Your gift buys that inventory and that handoff so a hard year doesn't leave a household choosing between rent and Christmas.
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Tampa Kids Experiences
There’s a look kids get when the lights go down and the show finally starts — or when they walk into a stadium they’ve only seen on TV. A lot of families in Tampa never get that night. Money's tight, work runs late, and "maybe next time" becomes the whole childhood. Tampa Kids Experiences is how OpportunityToServe changes that here. We gather event and activity tickets — games, shows, museums, local experiences — and put them in kids' hands through in-person handoffs with local partners, so the night out is real, not a promise on a flyer. This is delivery in Tampa, not a brochure. Name the experience gap, pack the tickets, get them to the child the same week they can use them. Your gift buys those seats and that handoff — so a kid here gets the memory, not another rain check.
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Cheyenne Essentials
There’s a moment every parent knows: the cupboard’s down to almost nothing, the soap bottle is empty, and the next paycheck isn’t close enough. Nobody wants a speech about need. They want a restock that still feels like dignity. Cheyenne Essentials is how OpportunityToServe does that work here. We assemble food, hygiene, and household kits — groceries that fill a kitchen, soap and basics for the bathroom, the small household goods that make a home livable again — then work with a local partner so the handoff happens in person. The ask is simple: name what’s missing. The kit and the partner walk it into the house. This isn’t a warehouse line you have to perform for. It’s a real restock for neighbors in Cheyenne: pack the kit, partner locally, get it through the door the same week it’s needed. Your gift buys that inventory and that handoff — so a hard week doesn’t leave someone choosing between dinner and soap.
View full InitiativeNo Family Left Out This Christmas
This Christmas, OpportunityToServe is running a Utah Christmas drive for 2,000 underprivileged families. The help goes to households who may not otherwise have a Christmas meal, gifts, or the basics they need to get through the holiday. Gift cards are welcome, too — they help us get families what they still need. You can donate right here on this page. This is an invitation to local businesses, local charities, and the whole community to help families who are less fortunate this Christmas. We work with partners across Utah to get that support to them. You can also donate in-kind items. We are gathering holiday meal boxes and family Christmas essentials, and we need donations to buy the ones we still do not have. Everything we collect and purchase is new and ready to give. 1) Ship items to: OpportunityToServe 12760 S Park Ave #1173 Riverton, UT 84065 Items wanted: - Holiday meal boxes and grocery staples - Winter coats, hats, gloves, and blankets - Household essentials (soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, paper goods) - New gifts for teens and adults - Children's books and family games - Warm socks, pajamas, and clothing - Infant and toddler care items All donations go to OpportunityToServe, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and are used at the organization's discretion to carry out this initiative.
View full InitiativeChristmas for Kids
Some kids in Utah won’t have a present to open on Christmas morning. We’re holding events for more than 2,000 of them, and we need at least 6,000 brand-new toys so every child who comes leaves with one. Christmas for Kids is OpportunityToServe’s drive to make those events real. Children come in person. Each one should leave with a brand-new toy — something still in the package, chosen for a child, not a used item passed along from a closet. The day only works if those toys are already in the room when the first child arrives. This is a large drive on purpose. More than 2,000 children are coming through the events. We need at least 6,000 brand-new toys so there is a gift for every child who comes, from infants through grade school. When the shelves run short, a child goes home with nothing to open. That is the gap this page is here to close. We do not collect used toys. What a child receives should be new. You can close that gap in two ways. Both of them become a toy at an event. Give what you can on this page. We’ll use it to buy the toys we don’t have, then take those toys to the events. A gift of any size fills a spot that would otherwise be empty when a child walks in. Or ship brand-new toys yourself. Send them new and unopened to the address below. What arrives is added to the toys we give out at the events. How to help: 1) Ship brand-new toys to: OpportunityToServe 12760 S Park Ave #1173 Riverton, UT 84065 New items only. Please don’t send used, broken, or incomplete toys. 2) Or make a donation on this page. We’ll use it to buy the toys we don’t have. Toys and gifts wanted (new items only): - Toys for ages 0–12 (dolls, action figures, building sets, stuffed animals) - Games, puzzles, and books - Arts and crafts kits - Sports balls and outdoor play items - Age-appropriate gifts for younger kids and grade-schoolers Infants, preschoolers, and grade-schoolers all come to these events, so a mix of ages helps as much as a large stack of the same toy. If you are shopping, choose something a child that age would be glad to unwrap on Christmas morning. Thank you for making sure a child in Utah has a present to open. All donations go to OpportunityToServe, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and are used at the organization’s discretion to carry out this initiative.
View full InitiativeLincoln Essentials
There’s a moment every parent knows: the cupboard’s down to almost nothing, the soap bottle is empty, and the next paycheck isn’t close enough. Nobody wants a speech about need. They want a restock that still feels like dignity. Lincoln Essentials is how OpportunityToServe does that work here. We assemble food, hygiene, and household kits — groceries that fill a kitchen, soap and basics for the bathroom, the small household goods that make a home livable again — then work with a local partner so the handoff happens in person. The ask is simple: name what’s missing. The kit and the partner walk it into the house. This isn’t a warehouse line you have to perform for. It’s a real restock for neighbors in Lincoln: pack the kit, partner locally, get it through the door the same week it’s needed. Your gift buys that inventory and that handoff — so a hard week doesn’t leave someone choosing between dinner and soap.
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Riverton Financial Wellness
Riverton Financial Wellness helps households in Riverton get a real handle on money. We sit down one-to-one, write a rent-and-food budget together, and help open or stabilize a bank account. Short workshops cover credit, banking, and how to stay out of payday-loan traps — practical steps, not a lecture. When a family already has a plan and a small payment will stop a late fee, shutoff, or payday loan, we make that payment. If the next step is side income, we help with pricing, documenting earnings, and the first legal paperwork. For neighbors coming home, we help with ID, a first-month budget, work-ready clothing, and a handoff to local work and housing help. Your gift puts that coaching and those emergency payments in front of people who need them now — so a hard week doesn’t become a longer crisis.
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Riverton Family Essentials
Riverton Essentials 2026 is a Basic Needs & Essentials initiative of OpportunityToServe, a Utah 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 45-4869558) based in Riverton. We help Salt Lake County households facing food insecurity, utility shutoffs, and sudden gaps in everyday essentials stay stable while they get back on their feet. In 2026 we focus on Riverton and nearby Salt Lake County communities. Neighbors can request groceries, hygiene and cleaning supplies, school-ready household items, and emergency essentials when a job loss, medical bill, or other crisis leaves the cupboard bare. Local volunteers help verify need, pack kits, and connect families to longer-term help when that is what they need. Tax-deductible gifts to OpportunityToServe at opportunitytoserve.org fund this Utah work. General operating support keeps the initiative ready to respond: supplies on the shelf, a clear intake path, and people who can deliver help in Riverton and Salt Lake County without delay.
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Iowa Family Support Initiative
This ongoing initiative provides compassionate direct aid and emergency support to vulnerable families and individuals facing crisis right here in the Quad Cities. Through this program, we deliver practical help such as essential household items, temporary assistance with basic needs, and personalized encouragement to strengthen family stability during difficult times. By investing in local Iowa families, we are building stronger, more resilient communities across the Quad Cities region. Small acts of kindness and coordinated support can make a lasting difference — ensuring no family in Iowa faces challenges alone. We are committed to expanding this initiative so we can reach and support even more families in Iowa. Your donations and volunteer involvement help us grow our capacity to serve more people right here in the Quad Cities.
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EmpowerHer Initiative
Every woman deserves to feel safe, valued, and strong enough to build the future she dreams of for herself and her children. Too many mothers and daughters in our communities face violence, economic hardship, health struggles, or sudden life crises that leave them fighting just to stay stable. The EmpowerHer Initiative steps in with open arms and real support. Through monthly empowerment workshops, women gain practical skills, wellness tools, and the confidence to move forward. Thoughtfully prepared care packages bring immediate relief — hygiene essentials, wellness kits, soft blankets, clothing vouchers, and gift cards that ease daily burdens. Safe community gatherings create spaces for connection, encouragement, and shared strength, reminding every participant she is not alone. We reach out to underserved women and families with welcoming, multilingual materials so no one is left behind. Every story of resilience we capture helps shine a light on the power of community care. Your donation directly provides these resources and creates lasting ripples of hope. Whether you give a one-time gift or become a monthly partner, you are handing a woman the tools to reclaim her stability, protect her family, and step into a brighter tomorrow. All donations are tax-deductible. Gifts of $500 or more include an invitation to our annual Service Gala. Be the voice that says “You are seen, you are supported, and you are empowered.” Donate to the EmpowerHer Initiative today and help women and children rise stronger together.
View full InitiativePast Initiatives
Kindness Wall
The Kindness Wall, is a one-day interactive public art experience designed to spark joy, connection, and compassion. We will set up a portable art station in a high-traffic public area, where children, families, and passersby can create kindness cards filled with messages of hope and encouragement. All of the cards will be collected and delivered to children facing cancer in local hospitals, turning a simple creative act into something deeply meaningful. Participants will receive small treats as a thank-you, and additional treats will be included for the children in the hospital. This project creates a shared moment of giving and creativity, reaching as many people as possible in the community. The Kindness Wall transforms art into compassion, spreading kindness to participants and directly to children who need encouragement and joy the most.
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Comfort for Single Moms: Mother's Day Outreach
Every year, OpportunityToServe organizes a special Mother's Day initiative to honor and support underprivileged single mothers in our community. We provide gift baskets, meals, and words of encouragement to remind these incredible women that they are seen, valued, and not alone.
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