YWCA Holiday Giving

Want to make this holiday season unforgettable?

Help spread the warmth by donating to the YWCA Holiday Market! Your gifts bring joy to the families we serve and make the season shine brighter.

A Season That Sparkles for All

YWCA Columbus Holiday Market:
Holiday Magic Starts Here

In 2025, YWCA Columbus updated its holiday giving program to make participation easier for everyone. This year, donors were not matched with individual residents; instead, staff collected resident gift suggestions to create the YWCA Holiday Market wish list.

Gifts purchased from this list by generous donors—along with gifts provided by our longtime partners at Bath & Body Works—will be distributed to residents during the Holiday Market and at the Family Center’s Holiday Party.

The YWCA Holiday Market is a special event where residents at the Family Center and Women’s Residency can shop for gifts for their loved ones—or even for themselves—without the burden of cost. Any gifts not chosen by residents during the Market will be thoughtfully repurposed throughout the year to support other YWCA programs across the agency, ensuring every gift continues to bring joy.

Donation drop-off deadline: December 17

See FAQ below for additional gifting tips.

Shop Urgent Needs List

More Ways to Be Merry and Bright

Donate Our Most-Needed Items

At the YWCA Family Center and our permanent supportive housing at Women’s Residency, new needs arise every day. To support the families and residents we serve, we’ve put together a list of our most-needed items on our Mindful Giving site. Shop online, and your donations will be sent directly to us—making it easy to spread joy and make an impact this holiday season.

Volunteer With Us

You can make a meaningful impact at the YWCA Family Center by volunteering this season. From meal service to supporting the EARN Store, your involvement creates a tangible, immediate difference in the lives of the people we serve and strengthens our community.

Click here to explore volunteer opportunities.

Make a Donation

Your donation helps us reach more individuals that need our services and broaden our impact within the community. More than that, your support drives us closer to a future rooted in equity, empowerment, inclusion, and the values of peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

Click here to join our mission.

Holiday Giving 2025 FAQs

  • In 2025, YWCA Columbus made some updates to its holiday giving program to simplify the process for residents, staff, volunteers, and donors.  

    Instead of matching individual donors with individual residents, YWCA staff collected suggestions from residents in the fall that were used to compile YWCA’s Holiday Giving wish list. The items purchased from this list – by YWCA donors – will still be distributed to the residents in shelter during the holiday season through our Holiday Market and at the Family Center’s Holiday Party. 

    Continuing a long-standing partnership, Bath & Body Works associates also will purchase many of the gifts YWCA residents enjoy during the holiday season. We are very grateful for their ongoing support, which enabled YWCA to make these improvements to its holiday giving program this year. 

    Please note that any gifts not chosen by residents at the YWCA Holiday Market will be repurposed throughout the year by YWCA Columbus’ programs. 

  • While the Holiday Giving wish list includes all of items requested by our residents in shelter, YWCA does often run out of items specifically for men and teens in shelter, and we encourage you to think about all demographics as you are shopping for gifts this season. 

  • Yes, YWCA Columbus cannot accept any donations that are perishable, used, explicit, flammable (e.g. candles), or resemble a weapon, e.g. NERF ™ guns.  

    We are also not able to distribute gift cards to residents.  

    Any wrapped gifts received will be unwrapped by staff before being distributed to residents.

  • Please check out our upcoming volunteer opportunities here.

  • Yes, you can visit here to donate to YWCA Columbus or check out our most needed items here.

    Also, if you are viewing this page after Dec. 15, we are no longer accepting holiday gift donations, but YWCA relies on general donations all year round to help our facilities operate smoothly, and we encourage you to visit this page to provide much-needed support to all of our housing programs. 

  • Absolutely! You may drop off gifts to the YWCA Family Center or Women’s Residency Program any time before Wednesday, Dec. 17. 

  • The donation drop-off deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 17. 

Questions? We Can Help! ↘

  • Annie Bowen

    Annie Bowen

    Executive Assistant to the President & CEO

    Email Annie