Sponsor a Teen for the Holidays
A New Twist on a Beloved Tradition
Every holiday season, Santiam Teen Center invites our incredible community to take part in “Adopt a Teen,” a cherished tradition where generous individuals shop for teens based on short summaries we provide.
This year, we’re shifting from Adopt a Teen to Sponsor a Teen, a small change in wording that reflects a deeper commitment to honoring each teen’s individuality and ensuring every gift feels personal, joyful, and equitable. It’s a meaningful evolution of the tradition, one that helps every teen feel seen and keeps the process manageable for our small but mighty team.
Whether you donate, shop from the Wishlist, wrap gifts, write letters, or simply stop by, you’re helping create a holiday season filled with warmth, connection, and care.
We’re genuinely excited about this shift, not just because it helps us serve teens more thoughtfully, but because we believe it can bring our community even closer. This new approach invites deeper connection, shared joy, and a chance to see the impact we’re making together.
We are deeply grateful for everything this community does to support our teens. Your generosity, creativity, and heart make all the difference.
What’s New This Year?
We’re evolving our beloved tradition to make it more inclusive, manageable, and meaningful. Instead of shopping individually based on summaries, you can support teens in one of three ways:
💸 Donate any amount
We’re aiming to provide gifts valued around $75 per teen, but there’s no minimum or maximum. Give what feels right for you. Donate Now.
🛍️ Shop from our Amazon Wishlist
We’ll share a curated list of teen-requested items. You can mark your purchase as “bought” and ship directly to the center.
If you need help navigating the list, email us — and if we can’t resolve it that way, we’ll set up a time to connect.
🎀 Join us for “Open Doors, Open Hearts,” our Wrap & Write Event
This new community event is a hands-on way to connect with the heart of the season. Whether you want to wrap gifts, write letters, do both, or simply stop in to learn more, we’d love to have you.
📝 Reserve your spot to write and wrap — or come by to see where your donations go and witness the impact you’re making for local teens.
We’ll provide short summaries to help personalize your letter, and all wrapping supplies will be ready to go.
📅 Dates are still being finalized, but we’ll share sign-up details soon so you can plan ahead.
No matter how you give, you’ll receive a short summary of the teen(s) you supported and a thank-you message to celebrate the impact you made.
Your support helps ensure every gift is:
Thoughtful and Personalized
Age-Appropriate and Equitable
Delivered on time and with care
We’re preparing for 50+ teens this year. For teens who join us later, we’ll provide gift cards to places like Amazon and other teen-favorite stores, so they still feel seen and celebrated.
Why the Change?
Over the years, our community has done an incredible job showing up for teens during the holidays, your generosity has made a real and lasting impact.
This year, we’re refining the process to make sure every teen receives a gift that truly reflects their style, interests, and voice. As staff, we know these teens well, what makes them light up, what feels meaningful, and what leaves a lasting impression.
By centralizing gift planning, we can:
- ✅ Ensure consistency and fairness across all gifts
- ⏳ Reduce last-minute scrambling and delays
- 🗣️ Honor each teen’s individual requests and preferences
Last year, 34 teens filled out our holiday survey. This year, we’re preparing for 50 or more, and we want to make sure no one is left out or left behind.
We hope this shift makes it easier to participate, deepens the connection between donors and teens, and continues the tradition of care in a way that’s thoughtful, inclusive, and joyful.
Logistics & Contact Info
Santiam Teen Center
2800 Kindle Way SE,
Stayton, OR 97383
Office Hours
Monday–Thursday, 12:00–3:00 PM
(Closed Fridays and weekends)
Teen programming runs Tuesday–Thursday from 3:00–6:00 PM.
Additional availability may be possible after 6:00 PM — please contact us ahead of time to confirm
Contact:
📧 hannah@santiamteencenter.org
Amazon Wishlist:
🛍️ Link coming soon — check our website or social media for updates!
Open Doors, Open Hearts:
Wrap & Write Day:
🎀 Sign-up link coming soon — check our website or social media for updates!