Each holiday season, MJF provides meals, gifts, and essential resources that help families celebrate with dignity and connection. Since 2011, thousands of families have received holiday baskets and toys—bringing nourishment and joy when it’s needed most.

The Need

Nearly one-third of children in Philadelphia — about 103,400 kids — experience food insecurity, the highest rate in Pennsylvania at 31%. For many families, the stress of scarcity outweighs the joy of celebration during the holidays. The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation’s Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise helps ensure that families experiencing hardship can still share in the comfort, dignity, and connection that come with gathering around a holiday table.

Meeting families where they are and removing immediate barriers that can limit a young person’s ability to thrive.

A Legacy of Giving

Since 2011, the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation has brought hope and joy to 5000 families — nearly 13,000 individuals — through the Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise initiative. The Foundation partners with community groups, schools, faith-based institutions, and social service agencies to identify families most in need and ensure that every basket reaches a household that will benefit most.