The Daisie Foundation has maintained a tradition of surprising students and faculty in underserved schools during the December holiday season—a time of year to celebrate the gift of giving. Through its Holiday Magic Initiative, the Daisie Foundation and its volunteers generously donated special gifts, toys, snacks, meal certificates, and catered lunches for faculty through random acts of kindness. Since the program began in 2017, the foundation has provided over 6000 gifts to an estimated 5400 students in pre-K through 8th grade and over 600 teachers in some of the toughest communities in Chicago. The Daisie Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in underserved communities by sprinkling joy and hope.

In 2020, the foundation continued to expand its outreach into new communities by bringing the annual Holiday Magic Initiative, a “Giveback Day for Schools,” in three deserving Chicago schools, including: Dixon Elementary, Tanner Elementary and William H. Brown Elementary. The event took place on December 16th. Recognized for making strategic and caring decisions, the Daisie Foundation pivoted its outreach efforts to address the new challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of in-person events, the foundation organized drive-up distribution events to drop off toys, special gifts and arranged to drop off certificates for 1000 students to redeem for free meals. Although not physically present, the Daisie Foundation managed, however, to put the spotlight on the students and teachers, reminding us of the real reasons for the holiday season.