MPPFC helps spread holiday joy thanks to Elf on the Shelf grant

MPPFC staff member Kiersten Mahaffy helps load boxes of Elf on the Shelf books. The books are being donated to local families in need this holiday season.

The Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children is spreading some extra love this holiday season, thanks to a donation from Creatively Classic Activities and Books (CCA & B), parent company of the popular children’s toy Elf on the Shelf.

“This is the second year that we’ve requested and received a donation from Elf on the Shelf,” said Lisa Mulligan, executive director of the Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children, “and we could not be more appreciative of the impact they’re helping us make on the children in need in our community.”

The Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children is a non-profit organization that funds programs in early literacy, assistance finding child care services, parent and family support, and health care during the first 2,000 days of a child’s life — roughly the time between birth and when a child arrives for their first day of kindergarten.

This year, CCA & B donated nearly $2,000 worth of Elf on the Shelf books and toys to the Partnership

“There are so many families in our community who, without assistance, wouldn’t be able to provide gifts for their children,” said Mulligan. “This grant has been instrumental in helping us serve and support the local families who are in need this holiday season by providing the gift of more than just a toy, but an accompanying book as well.”

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition features a children’s book detailing how the special “scout elf” is sent from the North Pole to help Santa Claus manage his naughty and nice lists. Each night, according to the story, the elf returns to the North Pole to tell Santa whether the children behaved that day. In the morning, the elf returns to the family, perching in various places to watch the day’s events unfold.

The Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children is a Smart Start-affiliated 501(3)(c) non-profit that funds programs in early literacy, quality early child care and learning, assistance finding child care services, parent and family support, and health care in Martin and Pitt counties during the first 2,000 days of a child’s life.