Question 1

Who is eligible for PVCP?

Accepted Answer

PVCP assists families that reside in the Plainwell Community Schools district. This means:You live at an address that is in the bounds of PCS This is the address on your drivers licenseYou must receive mail at this location

Question 2

What type of items should I expect to receive from PVCP?

Accepted Answer

PVCP provides holiday support in the form of food, household essentials, and gifts for those 17 and under.

Food items will be household pantry staples, rather than a single big “Christmas Dinner.”

We strive to provide 3 gifts for each child, each in the $20 range. You will be asked for gift suggestions, but we cannot guarantee your child will receive these items.

Question 3

My kids attend PCS under school of choice; am I eligible for PVCP?

Accepted Answer

PVCP assists families that reside in the Plainwell Community School district. This means:You live at an address that is in the bounds of PCS (regardless of where your kids attend school)This is the address on your drivers licenseYou must receive mail at this location

Question 4

Where do I get help if I don’t live in the PCS District?

Accepted Answer

If you do not live in PCS, many surrounding communities have similar programs. We’d encourage you to reach out to your local resources.

Question 5

Can I enroll in both PVCP and another program for holiday assistance?

Accepted Answer

No. You agree when you sign up that you will only seek holiday assistance from one program. This is to ensure resources can help as many families as possible. 
Please note that we do coordinate with other agencies and finding the same family on multiple lists could make you ineligible for one or more of these holiday assistance programs. 
This does not apply to non-holiday assistance (ie rent, food, utility assistance) received from organizations like Christian Neighbors or Community Action Allegan. You may remain enrolled in such programs and also receive holiday assistance from PVCP.

Question 6

Can I sign up on behalf of my grandkids/step-kids/nieces and nephews/etc?

Accepted Answer

You may only enroll children who live at your physical address and whose parent/guardian also lives at that address.

Question 7

Can I sign up on behalf of my parents/grandparents/aunts and uncles/etc?

Accepted Answer

All adults living in your household can be enrolled on one form. If they live in another household, they will need to enroll separately.

Question 8

I share custody of my child(ren). Can both parents enroll?

Accepted Answer

The child(ren) can only be enrolled by the parent with primary physical custody.

Question 9

Can I enroll multiple years in a row?

Accepted Answer

You may enroll two or more years in a row as long as you continue to meet other eligibility requirements.

Question 10

What kind of gifts can I request for my children?

Accepted Answer

Gifts we provide will generally be in the $20ish range. 
Please do not request high ticket items like phones, tablets, game systems, etc or weapons (even the fake kind). They will not be provided. 
We will not provide Visa gift cards (or similar) as gifts.
We do our best to match gifts with your requests, but this is not guaranteed.

Question 11

I lost my enrollment form.

Accepted Answer

If it’s before the enrollment deadline, please use our online enrollment form. Paper enrollment forms are also available at Ransom Library, Plainwell City Hall, Christian Neighbors, and all PCS schools.

If it’s after the deadline, unfortunately, we are not able to accept late enrollment in most cases.

Question 12

The enrollment form asked for the number of seniors and veterans in the household. This is new. Why do you need to know this?

Accepted Answer

PVCP sometimes receives assistance from the USDA for some of the items in our food boxes. They require this information from us. If you are unable/unwilling to provide this information, you may not be eligible to receive food from PVCP.

Question 13

I didn’t receive an enrollment form in the mail this year.

Accepted Answer

Due to the increasing cost of postage, we have tried to move most enrollment forms online. If we had a valid email address for you, you would have received a link to enrollment via email. This link is also available here. Please add @plainwellchristmas.org to your contacts so our emails do not go to spam.

Question 14

How do I use the online enrollment QR code?

Accepted Answer

Using your phone’s camera app, aim the camera at the QR code. After a moment, it should provide you with a link to tap that will take you to the online enrollment form.

Question 15

I submitted my application but I haven’t heard anything.

Accepted Answer

Usually, no news is good news. You’ll hear from us with pick-up details around the second week of December.

If there is a problem with your application or eligibility, we will reach out directly.

Question 16

I missed the enrollment deadline.

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept late enrollment in most cases.

Please check back here next fall or follow us on Facebook so you get the dates for next year if needed.

Question 17

I am not receiving emails from PVCP.

Accepted Answer

Please confirm we have a valid email address for you.

Please add @plainwellchristmas.org to your safe senders so our emails do not go to spam.

Question 18

How do I know if my family has been adopted by private sponsors?

Accepted Answer

Most of our families are sponsored by the Christmas Project, not private sponsors.

If your family is adopted, you will receive notice in your pick-up letter. Keep in mind that the items you receive may differ from those in the general distribution.

Question 19

If my family has been adopted, can I contact my sponsor?

Accepted Answer

Your private sponsor may reach out if they need additional information about a gift request or food needs. If they reach out, please do not ask your sponsor for any personal information like their last name, address, employment, church, etc. We work to maintain their privacy as well as yours.

You should also not provide this information about yourself.

Question 20

Why do some families get adopted by private sponsors and others do not?

Accepted Answer

We do not have enough private sponsors to adopt all of the families we help so the Christmas Project takes over. We rely on a mix of grants, food/toy drives, and organizations like Toys for Tots to help us fill these needs.

We only allow a family to be adopted every 3-4 years to ensure we are not adopting out the same families year on year.

Frequently asked questions