On Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13, 2025, Building Hope in the City (BHITC) will host its twelfth‑annual Christmas Store Experience at Bridge City Church. The Christmas Store is an invitation‑only shopping experience for families connected to our Afterschool/Community Development programs and Bridge City Church. Parents can purchase new, low‑priced gifts for their children and have them wrapped on site. This event is made possible through generous donations of gifts, baked goods, and financial support from our partner churches and volunteers.
Partner With Us
Volunteer and Serve - Rally up a group, invite students or bring along family and friends! You can serve in two ways: Help prepare from Dec 2–11 with sorting inventory, decorating, and setup, or join on event days (Dec 12–13) as greeters, family guides, wrappers, cashiers, and more. We need 20–25 volunteers per shift on each day of the event. In past years over 250 people have served to make Christmas Store possible. Your presence makes all the difference! Email anele@buildinghopeinthecity.org if you have questions about volunteering.
Host a Gift Drive & Donate Gifts - Invite your workplace, church, or community group to collect new toys, books, and teen-friendly items. Email yomarie@buildinghopeinthecity.org to schedule a gift drop-off or ship directly through our Amazon list ensuring every child has something special to open.
Give Financially - Your tax-deductible gift fills inventory gaps and keeps prices low so parents can shop with dignity. Donations especially help with larger gifts like bicycles, electronics and teen items.
Pray and Share - Pray for families, volunteers, and smooth logistics. Spread the word - post on social media, add a bulletin note, or invite your small group to serve together. Hope multiplies when we share it.
A Brief History & Impact
Launched in 2014, the Christmas Store has grown from a simple, one‑room pop‑up to a coordinated, multi‑room experience powered by partner churches and volunteers across the city. In 2024, the Store directly served 121 families and 467 children. Through additional partner distributions, the wider effort reached approximately 900 children across over 350 families, providing more than 7,200 toy‑related items with an estimated value of $143,580. These outcomes reflect the generosity of local congregations and the strength of BHITC’s year‑round relationships with families.